


Longevity

by zarrati



Category: Parks and Recreation
Genre: Collections - Freeform, Drabbles, F/M, Fluff, Smut, mostly Leslie/Ben fluff, one shots, series of unrelated short stories, tumblr prompts and drabbles, under 1k words
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-17
Updated: 2017-05-30
Packaged: 2018-04-26 19:07:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 75
Words: 51,551
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5016727
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zarrati/pseuds/zarrati
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A collection of some fluffy and some smutty Leslie/Ben drabbles and one-shots from my Tumblr.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prom Date

“So what was yours like?”

Leslie and Ben were curled on the couch watching the News, Ben absentmindedly running his fingers through Leslie’s hair.

“Hmm?” he answered.

“Your prom. I told you about mine, so what was yours like?”

“Oh.” He frowned briefly. “Uhm, well, I didn’t have one. I mean, my school had one, but I didn’t go. My parents tried to throw me my own, but that was a disaster. So, yeah. No prom." 

During his rambling, his hands stopped stroking her hair, moving to his lap to pick invisible threads on his pants. 

"You didn’t go to prom?" 

“Nah. Uhm, it was a few months after I got impeached, so I wasn’t exactly up for Prom King.” He chuckled. “I wasn’t up for much of anything, actually.” 

Leslie stared at him as though he just told her his dog died. “Oh my God, Ben-“

"Hey, I mean it’s not that big of a deal.” He gave a halfhearted shrug. “Lots of people don’t go to prom. I think what messed me up more was my parents’ poor attempt at giving me my own." 

Leslie moved from her seat on the couch to straddle Ben’s lap, his hands automatically moving to her waist. She placed her hands on either side of his face, forcing him to look her in the eye.

“It really sucks that you weren’t able to experience something as special as your prom because of your crap town. But you know what? Screw it, because this prom is gonna be the greatest ever.”

He gave her a grateful smile. “Thanks. But I don’t know how good of a date I’m gonna be since I’m co-DJing.”

"That’s alright. I’ll probably be busy running around that night anyway. Besides,” she leaned forward seductively, grinding her hips into his pelvis, “the best part of prom is always the after party.”

“Yeah?”

“Oh, yeah. Have I ever told you how much a man in headphones turns me on? Why do you think I went with A.V.Club Harvey?”

Ben moved his fingers under the hem of her shirt, stroking the bare skin of her ribs beneath her bra. “I bet my headphones are bigger than his.”

“Hey, you and I both know that it’s not the size of the headphones that counts, but how well you use them. And you really don’t need to be jealous of Harvey. He barely got past second base that night.” She brushed her lips against his. “You, on the other hand, just might hit a home run.”

“Oh. I’ve always wondered what it would be like to get lucky on prom night.”

~~~~~

“Hey, man, is Leslie okay? She’s sportin’ her ‘crazier than normal’ crazy eyes.”

Ben looked over at Tom before moving his gaze to follow Leslie as she got pulled from the stage.

“I’m honestly not 100% sure what’s happening right now. I guess I’ve been so caught up in the moment. Just losing myself in the music, ya know?”

Tom rolled his eyes and went back to tweeting on his iPhone.

“Hey, man, do you take requests? There’s a song that my girlfriend really wants to hear,” a young kid asked coming up to the booth.

“You bet, Broseph. You just tell me what sick beats you want me to throw down.”

As he rifled through his collection of albums, an idea struck him. He just had to wait for Leslie to come back.

It was almost a half hour before he saw her again, a loud crash from across the gymnasium catching his attention. He started a new song and quickly ran over to her.

“Leslie? You okay? What happened?” he asked, seeing a table cloth now attached to her dress.

“Pikitis, that’s what happened.”

“Pikitis? That kid you told me about that used to prank you guys?”

“Yes. UGH! I can’t believe he got me  _again_. Look at this mess.”

"Hey, it’s okay. I’ll go find someone to clean this up, and you get yourself cleaned up, okay? When you come back I have a surprise for you.”

Leslie stopped trying to remove the staples from her dress and looked up at him excitedly. “You have a surprise for me? What is it?”

“It’s not a surprise if I tell you,” he laughed. “You gonna be okay to fix your dress?”

“Yeah, I’ll be fine. Just have to remove a few strategically placed staples. I’ll be back.” She leaned up to kiss him and made her way to the bathroom while Ben found someone to clean the mess.   
  
Ben was back at his booth 15 minutes later when Leslie walked into the gym. He felt like the lead in one of those 80’s teen angst films, seeing the girl of his dreams walk into prom from across the room. She looked towards the booth and waved at him, a goofy smile spreading across his face as he waved back.

Grabbing the microphone, he faded out the music.

“How we doing, Pawnee High?!”

A round of applause and shouts answered back.

“Now, I know we’ve been jamming pretty hard, but right now I think it’s time for a little change of pace. This next song is dedicated to the woman who helped make tonight possible, Deputy Director of the Parks Department and my amazing wife, Leslie Knope.”

He pointed towards her at the back of the gym, and the students erupted into another round of applause as Leslie smiled and waved back at them.

“So,” Ben continued, “Now’s the time to grab someone special and hold on tight because we are about to be transported to 1981. Fun fact: this song, although recorded in 1981, reached it’s zenith in 1987 when it was featured in several episodes of  _Family Ties-“_

 _“_ Ugh, Ben, no one cares,” Tom groaned.

"Well, anyway. Here’s  _At This Moment_  by Billy Vera and the Beaters.”

As the familiar piano melody began to play, Ben left the turntables and made his way over to Leslie. He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her close while her fingers laced behind his neck, and they swayed to the music.

"Everything okay now?” Ben asked her as they danced.

“Yeah,” she sighed. “I just got a bit overzealous in my attempts to convince Allison to take the Summer Internship instead of working for Ron’s friend.”

“Ah, so that’s what that whole announcement was about.”

“Exactly. I don’t know, I guess I’m still hung up on this job offer. If I do take it, I want to make sure the department will be fine without me, and she seemed like a perfect fit.”

“I’m not gonna lie. She definitely reminds me of how I’d picture you at that age, with your school spirit and back channel Mexican office supplies.”

“Well, we were both wrong. She has terrible taste and it would be a mistake to have her work with us.”

“Okay, now I am  _definitely_ confused.”

"She’s dating Greg Pikitis. I can’t trust the judgement of someone who would stoop so low as to date that juvenile delinquent and stain on Pawnee’s legacy.”

Ben started laughing softly.

“How is this at all funny, Ben?”

"Nothing. It’s just, she’s seventeen. She’s allowed to have a little judgement error every now and then. Obviously the choice is up to you, but she still seems like a good match. We can’t all be judged forever by the stupid stuff we did when we were teenagers. I mean, my judgement error was bankrupting an entire city.”

“Well, that’s almost as bad as dating Pikitis.”

He laughed again and pulled her closer, resting his forehead against hers. 

“Well, whatever happens, it will all work out. Just enjoy the rest of the night. It’s prom.”

“And how has prom been for you? Everything Benji Wyatt dreamed it would be?”

“Well, it’s not  _exactly_  how I pictured prom, but I got to live out some of my DJ dreams, and I’m dancing with the most amazing girl in school. Plus, the best part is that I have no curfew. So, yeah, I’d say my prom checklist is almost complete.”

"I’m glad. Might I add that you look so incredibly sexy up there in those headphones.” Leslie tilted her head up and pressed a seductive kiss to Ben’s lips. “And when we get home, you’ll be able to cross that last item off of your list.”

He smiled and looked down at her.

“Leslie Knope, will you go steady with me?”

“Why, Benji Wyatt, I’m honored. Give me your varsity jacket, and I’m all yours.”

“Would you settle for my Model UN lapel pin?”

“Even better.”

Oh yeah, Ben thought to himself. Definitely the best prom ever. 


	2. When Waffles Aren't Enough

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben tries his best to comfort Leslie post "Ann and Chris"

Leslie rested her head against the car window, staring at the scenery as it flashed by. Tears blurred her vision and fell down her cheeks, but she made no attempt to wipe them away. 

She had hoped that breakfast at JJ’s would lift her spirits, but it only made things worse. The waffles had no taste, the whipped cream wasn’t as fluffy as it usually was. She had so many memories of Ann there, and it felt wrong to be there without her.

She didn’t even realize when they got home until the car had been idling for several minutes. She could feel her husband’s eyes on her but couldn’t bring herself to move. 

“Hey,” he whispered, brushing his fingers against her arm. “You good to go inside, or did you want to just sit here for a little while?”

She didn’t answer at first; she simply continued to stare out of the window, and Ben, bless him, didn’t push for an answer. He just sat there quietly, giving her space, but letting her know she was there when she needed him. 

She let out a heavy sigh, and somehow Ben knew she was ready. He shut off the car and was out opening her door before she even managed to take off her seat belt.

He held her hand in a gentle grip, leading her up the driveway, through the front door, eventually seating her on the living room couch. He gave her hand a squeeze before dropping a kiss on her head and disappearing from view.

It was odd, that feeling of emptiness, as if a part of her very soul had been amputated. Although she was well passed the denial stage, she couldn’t help that small, niggling feeling in the back of her mind, as though she expected her best friend to walk through the front door any minute now. The strange sense of anticipation, the phantom limb that was Ann Perkins.

She hadn’t realize that Ben had come back into the room until he wrapped her in their warmest, fluffiest blanket, placing a mug of hot chocolate and whipped cream on the coffee table in front of her.

He moved to sit next to her on the couch, wrapping his arms around her shoulder and pulling her to him, nuzzling her hair with his nose and placing soft kisses on her face.

But it wasn’t enough. She turned on the sofa and climbed onto his lap, cocooning the both of them inside of the blanket. She rested her head against his chest, sighing as she felt his arms encircle her waist.

It wasn’t sexual, like the countless other times she had crawled into his lap on that very couch. There were no urgent kisses, no desperate removal of clothes, no moving over him as they drove each other to ecstasy while the television played in the background. 

Instead, she was reminded of her youth, when she’d crawl into her father’s arms after a particularly hard day. The warmth and love she’d felt then was no different than what she felt from her husband at that very moment. 

“I remember the first time I met Chris,” Ben said, breaking the silence. “I really didn’t want a partner to begin with, but after the fourth or fifth death threat in as many months, I figured it couldn’t hurt. Imagine my surprise when this exuberant guy walks in, shakes my hand as though he’s just met the president, and tells me that I could use more iron and B-12 in my system.”

Ben laughed. “I couldn’t stand him, at first. He was opposite of me in so many ways, I really didn’t think it would work. I tried to request a different partner, anyone other than this guy who wouldn’t stop smiling and made me run with him in the mornings, but after a few days, I realized how well we worked together. I was able to get things done, and he made the death threats stop.”

Leslie grinned at that despite herself.

“Anyway,” Ben continued, “after a while, we sort of just grew on each other. With a job like ours, we were away from home a lot and became a support system to each other when there was no one else. It’s weird, when I think about life and chance and all of those different variables. If I hadn’t been partnered with Chris, I might not have ever come to Pawnee, and I don’t like even thinking about that.”

His arms pulled her against him even more. “I guess what I’m trying to say is that sometimes life puts people in your path to be there for you and help you grow at those times when you need them the most. Like Chris did for me, and like Ann did for you.”

She looked up at him, her eyes questioning.

“I’m not implying that your relationship with Ann has reached its end or anything, just that it’s in a new phase. You were there for each other at very crucial moments of your lives and helped the other become a better person as a result. And who knows what’s going to happen in the future, but right now, your friendship is strong enough that a few hundred miles can’t change anything.”

She sniffled against his chest. “It still hurts.”

“I know it does, and no one expects you to bounce back from this immediately. Just try to focus on the positive memories that you have together, instead of the ‘what-ifs’. Now, I know I’m no substitute for Ann Perkins, but just like her, I will always be here for you, okay? You can come to me with anything, anytime.”

“You’re right, you aren’t a substitute for Ann Perkins,” she said, sitting up straighter to look Ben in the eyes. “But, to be fair, no one is good enough to take her place.” Her lip quirked in some semblance of a smile. “But I guess you do make a decent alternative.”

She leaned forward and kissed him gently. “Thank you, Ben. I needed to hear that.”

“Anytime.”

Leslie snuggled back into his chest and sighed. “Tell me more stories about your auditing days with Chris.”

“Did I ever tell you the story about the time Chris and I  _actually_  got run out of a town by angry farmers carrying torches and pitch forks?”

"No way!”

The next few hours were spent right there on that couch, exchanging story after story about their best friends. The pain and loss didn’t go away by some miracle, but it did make their hearts just a little bit lighter. 


	3. The Corn Maze

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the Pie Mary, Leslie and Ben have a little fun in the corn maze.

”Leslie, where are we going?”

“The corn maze,” she replied, still dragging him by the arm and away from the podium. 

“The corn maze? But I have to get back to the Pie Baking Contest.” He held up the plate with his other hand as if to emphasize the point.

Leslie stared at the plate before taking it and setting it on a random chair.

“That’s not important right now. What’s important is going to the corn maze. And take off that apron while we’re at it.”

She didn’t even give him the chance to act, reaching around to untie the strings and pulling said apron over his head, throwing it next to the plate. She grabbed his arm and once again resumed her trek towards the maze.

“What is going on right now? And damn, when did you get to be so strong?”

“Right, like I’m  _not_  gonna build upper body strength carrying around three toddlers. Now come on, Ben, focus.”

"Focus on what? I have no idea what we’re doing.”

“Corn maze, Ben. I just said that, jeez. Do we need to take you to the doctor? You’re too young for memory loss like that.”

“I know where we’re going,” he huffed. “I just don’t know why. You have failed to mention that part. Besides, the maze isn’t even open to the public yet.”

Leslie stopped at the entrance and turned to look Ben in the eye. 

“I know that.” She raised her eyebrows.

He just stared back blankly. “Okay, so…..Are we inspecting it or something?”

“God, you can be so clueless sometimes.”

“Can you please tell me what I’m missing here?”

She stepped towards him and wrapped her arms around his neck.

“It’s the opening day of the Harvest Festival, the first project we ever worked on together, our three wonderful, yet loud and nosy children are on rides with Andy and April, the corn maze is completely secluded and empty….”

“And….”

“And you just gave an amazingly impassioned speech about your Congressional Campaign, and if we don’t go into that maze in the next five seconds, your political dreams will be over because you’ll have been arrested for having sex with your wife in full view of the public.”

His eyes grew wide, grabbing her arm and running into the maze.

“God, why didn’t you say that in the beginning. We’ve wasted too much time already.”

“Don’t blame me that you can’t pick up on sexual innuendo. Has it really been that long since we’ve done this?”

“Since we’ve had sex that didn’t involve us trying to fit it in after a long day of work and getting three toddlers to sleep? Yes.” He stopped at a random spot in the maze and looked around. “Uhm, question. How are we actually going to do this?”

“Wow, it hasn’t been  _that_  long, has it?”

"I mean, logistically. I’m not as young as I once was. I don’t think I can hold you the whole time, and someone will definitely notice if our clothes look like we’ve been rolling around in the dirt.”

She grabbed his hand and led him into a wall of corn, knocking on a well camouflaged wood panel.

“They put these up between the different rows of corn in the middle. It helps make the maze walls a little sturdier and easier to cut out a path. It also happens to be good leverage so my poor, old husband won’t throw his back out.”

He leaned in to kiss her. “Why does this sound like it’s not your first romp in a corn maze?”

“A girl doesn’t kiss a tell,” she smiled demurely. “Now, hurry up and unzip those pants.” She was already working on the button of her own slacks.

“How romantic.”

“Babe, I love you, but right now I don’t need romance. You give me romance 24/7. It’s the sex part we have trouble finding time for.”

Her unbuttoned pants were sagging towards her thighs when she slapped Ben’s hand away from his fly and slipped her own inside to grip him.

He hissed and pushed her back against the wall. His fingertips ran up and down her belly before dipping below the waistband of her panties.

“God, Leslie, already?”

She nodded and bit her lips has he ran his fingers over her.

“Since your speech.”

“I guess that was one hell of a speech.”

She stroked him several more times before her hands migrated up, unbuttoning his shirt and loosening his tie.

“Hmmm, Ben, we don’t have much time. They’re gonna be calling me back any minute.”

She moaned as his fingers slipped out of her, moving to shove the fabric down past her hips. His hands gripped her on either side of her thighs while hers settled on his shoulders.

“You ready?” he asked.

At her nod, he hoisted her up and pressed her against the panel, her legs automatically squeezing his hips. A collective sigh was released when he slid into her.

Her nails dug into the skin of his shoulder through the shirt, his fingers bound to leave bruises from where he gripped her hip and thigh. Leaves were falling off of the corn stalks around them, some getting tangled in Leslie’s hair. 

She could feel herself drawing close when—

“Leslie Knope, please return to the main stage. Leslie Knope, please return to the main stage. Thank you.”

“Shit. God, I’m so close. Keep going.”

Ben didn’t even bother responding. He simply continued pounding into her, his fingers circling her clit. 

Light exploded behind her eyes mere seconds before they repeated her name on the loudspeaker, her husband following very soon after. 

“Babe?” Ben murmured into her hair.

“Hmm?”

“I tell you all of the time, but this was a really good idea.”

“I know. Now get off before they call for me again.”

She unwrapped her legs from his waist and pulled up her panties and slacks, trying her best to remove the dead leaves from her hair while Ben did his tried to look presentable. 

“Damn, I have to go,” Leslie said looking down at her watch. She wrapped her hand around the back of Ben’s neck and pulled him in for one last searing kiss. “I love you.”

“I love you, too. Let’s get outta here before they send a search party.”

Side by side, the couple walked out of the maze, throwing on sunglasses hoping it would distract from their disheveled appearance. 

As they neared the stage, Leslie stopped in her tracks. 

“Wait, Ben, have you seen my blazer?”


	4. Blame It On the Hormones

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fic Request for crazy, hormonal Leslie. Gap Fic

** Month 3 **

Leslie was making the finishing touches to her hair when Ben came out of the bathroom, a towel wrapped around his hips and his hair still dripping from the shower. He walked past her towards the closet, and Leslie was hit by an overwhelming wave of nausea. 

She barely made it to the toilet before heaving violently. She felt Ben come up behind her and rub her back, but it only made things worse. With her head still over the bowl, she started slapping Ben away with her free hand.

“No, you need to go away,” she said between gags.

“What, why? I want to help.”

Her slapping and pushing grew stronger. “I’m serious, Ben, you need to leave this room right now.”

“But-”

“I swear to God if you don’t leave this bathroom in the next two seconds, I will rip that towel away and permanently guarantee that these will be the only children we could ever have.”

The force in her voice made Ben scramble out of the bathroom, clutching the towel to his waist.

“What’s wrong? Did I do something I need to apologize for?”

She dry heaved. “It’s you. You’re making me sick.”

If Leslie could have seen his face, she’d have sworn he never looked so petrified.

“I’m-wha-I don’t-”

“Ugh, not  _you_ you. Jeez, relax.” She flushed the toilet and stood on shaky legs. “Your smell or whatever. You smell so terrible. Is it new soap or cologne or something?”

Ben looked down at himself in confusion. “No, it’s the same stuff I’ve always used. Nothing’s changed.”

"Well, it’s gonna have to because whatever you’re using makes me want to vomit.”

“Wait, seriously?”

“Yes, seriously. You’re gonna have to change it.”

Ben sighed. “Okay, that’s fine. I’ll pick up something different on the way home from work.”

“No, you need to change it now because I can’t get within 6 feet of you without needing to hurl.”

“But I don’t have anything else.”

“God, then use mine. It obviously doesn’t make me sick.”

“Yours?” He looked uncomfortable. “But it’s so….sweet smelling.”

Leslie crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes. “This is what’s gonna happen. You are going to go downstairs and wait in the kitchen. I’m going to grab my things and leave for work. Once you hear me walk out of the front door, you’re going to count to ten, come back upstairs, take another shower, and rinse that disgusting smell off of you. Are we clear? And unless you want to come home tonight to find the locks changed, you are going to agree.”

Ben simply nodded, held the towel around his waist, and walked downstairs.

He spent the rest of the day smelling of vanilla.

~~~~~

**Month 5**

Ben was in the middle of giving a presentation to all of the major department heads when his secretary knocked on the door.

“Mr. Wyatt? Sorry to interrupt, but your wife’s office just called and asked you to go up. They said it was an emergency.”

His face paled immediately, and a million terrible thoughts ran through his mind as he ran from the room without a word.

He raced up the three flights of stairs and nearly crashed into an intern in the hallway. 

“Where is she?” What was the intern’s name? Macy? Megan? He was too panicked to think, and it must have shown on his face.

“Uhm, her office,” she stuttered.

He resumed his sprint down the hallway and threw open the door to his wife’s office. He wasn’t sure what he was expecting, but Leslie sitting demurely behind her desk with her hands folded certainly wasn’t it.

“What is it? What’s wrong? Is it the babies? Are you okay?” He knelt down beside her and started running his hands over her hair, face, and belly.

“The babies are fine. No one’s hurt.”

“Oh, thank God.” He breathed a sigh of relief. “Then what’s up? My secretary said there was an emergency.”

“There is an emergency. The babies are okay, but I’m not-”

“Oh, no, what’s wrong? Are you sick? Do I need to call a doctor?”

“I don’t think you want Dr. Saperstein helping me with this.” She raised an eyebrow. 

 "Okay, then what do you need?” 

“You.”

Oh, no. He was too panicked to notice it when he first came in, but it was glaringly obvious to him now. He’d know that look anywhere. She was horny.

Really horny.

He put his face into his hands. “Leslie, are you telling me that I just ran out on every single department head and rushed up here because you want to have sex?”

“Something like that, yeah. Now, stop talking so we can get this over with.”

She reached for his tie, but he moved her hand away. “I can’t believe you. We can’t do this here. God, you have at least ten people right outside of your door.”

She made what Ben called her angry pregnancy face and he knew he was in trouble. 

“Ben, do you realize how many different hormones I have running through me right now? I am horny  _all_  of the time, and I think I did a pretty damn good job of waiting as long as I did. I am wound so tight that I am about two seconds away from screaming and throwing things across my office in the ultimate act of sexual frustration. Now, Ron made this office sound proof, the door locked automatically when you shut it, and if we don’t have sex right now-“

"Okay, okay. I’m sorry.” He conceded. 

“Good.” She reached under the hem of her skirt and yanked off her underwear. Still on his knees, Leslie pushed him under her desk, hiked up her skirt, and put his head between her legs.

“Start there.”

Ben was beginning to think he could get used to this.

~~~~~

**Month 7**

Leslie paced the foyer to the house, fuming. Crazy pregnancy hormones were in full swing, and the second Ben got back from a “cravings run”, he was going to receive a severe verbal lashing. 

What was taking him so long? He’d been gone almost an hour, and her patience was running thinner and thinner with each passing second.

She heard the key in the lock and prepared herself.

“Hey, babe. Sorry it took so long, but the line at the supermarket was crazy, and I had to drive to three different Paunch Burgers before I found one willing to put bacon into a milkshake and-”

He yelled and barely had time to duck as a tube of toothpaste was hurled at him, narrowly missing his face.

“Jesus, what the hell was that for?”

“Look at it,” she yelled and pointed to the tube on the floor. “Look at it and tell me what’s wrong with this picture.”

“You mean besides the fact that there’s toothpaste on the floor and you almost killed me,” he muttered. If looks could kill, he’d be a dead man. “Sorry. Uhm, yes, it’s the wrong kind, right?”

“No.”

“No, of course not. I, uh, put it in the wrong place again.”

“Now you’re just guessing. You  _seriously_  don’t even know, do you? Oh my God,” she screamed. “How do you not see it. Look at it!”

He stared at the tube on the floor and shrugged helplessly. “I don’t. I’m really sorry.”

"Ugh, typical.” She snorted in disgust. “Of course you don’t see it. You don’t notice anything do you? You don’t notice the toothpaste, you didn’t notice the new air freshener I got in the car, or the new nail polish that I’m wearing. You don’t love me any more, do you?”

“What, babe, of course I love you. How can you even say that?”

“If you loved me, you wouldn’t do these things to hurt me!”

Ben walked towards her slowly, as if he were approaching a wounded and dangerous wild animal. “I’m sorry I do things that hurt you, but I don’t mean to. I love you very, very much.”

“Then how else do you explain the toothpaste? Look at what you did, Ben. You squeezed it right in the middle. Everyone knows that you  _never_  squeeze it down the middle. Only from the bottom. What kind of neanderthal did I marry?”

Her mood quickly shifted from anger to sadness, her rage face breaking down into tears.

"Hey, I’m sorry. Come here.”

He pulled her into a hug, and she sobbed into his chest. “I won’t do it again I promise,” he soothed. “I will remember to always squeeze from the bottom of the tube like a civilized human.”

Leslie hiccuped and caught her breath. “I’m sorry, too. I shouldn’t have thrown the toothpaste at you, especially your face. No matter how much I might hate you at the moment, you still have a cute face that shouldn’t be damaged.”

“Thanks, I think. Feeling a little better?”

“Yeah. Do you have my food?” Her face lit up in anticipation of her chocolate and bacon milkshake, paunch burger with extra onions, and can of chicken noodle soup. 

“Yup, right here.” He held up the bags and her whole face lit up. Walking to the kitchen, he put the food down on the counter top and watched as Leslie eagerly pulled out the contents. 

Taking a bite of her burger, a fresh wave of sobs overtook her as she threw the burger back onto the table. 

“It has onions!”

“I thought you said you wanted extra onions?”

“I did, but these are grilled. I wanted raw.” She was crying so hard that Ben could barely understand what she was saying.

“Hey, no it’s okay.” He pulled out the single aluminium can he waited in line twenty minutes for. “Look, we still have your soup.”

She snatched the can from him and stared at the label. Once again, the shift from one emotion to another was instantaneous. Her tears stopped and the murderous glare returned to her eyes.

“It’s the wrong brand,” she said through clenched teeth. “I don’t like this brand.”

“But it’s chicken soup. Isn’t all soup basically the same?”

“If that was the case, then there would only need to be one brand, wouldn’t there?” She squeeze the can so hard that her knuckles turned white _  
_

He resigned himself to his fate. “I should probably run away and duck, right.”

“Oh, yes.”

He should be worried that her aim was improving.


	5. The Art of Being Thankful

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With her hands and her mouth, she thanked him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A Leslie/Ben drabble set post "Leslie and Ron"

Leslie’s buzz had worn off and the large helping of JJ’s waffles went a long way to ease her hangover. Today was further proof that waffles really  _did_  taste better when they were eaten with friends. It felt good to call Ron Swanson a friend again, to put all of the hurt and craziness behind them and move forward. 

Thankfully, April had cancelled all of the meetings for the day, so Leslie went straight home after work hoping to get some sleep before Ben and the kids came home.

A few hours later, she was awakened not by the sounds of three screaming toddlers, but a gentle hand pushing hair out of her face and caressing her cheek. 

“Hi,” she mumbled with a smile to her husband as she stretched on the couch.

“Hi. Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you.”

“S’okay. Where are the kids?”

Ben shrugged. “I figured you’d need some time to catch up on sleep, so they’re on a playdate with the Taylors next door.”

“Mmm, you’re the best husband ever.” Her tired eyes soon turned angry and she sat up. “Except, you’re also the worst. How could you lock me  _all night_ in the Parks office?”

"Well, judging by what I saw this morning, I assume it worked, didn’t it?”

She huffed and crossed her arms. “Yeah, fine, it  _did_ work and we talked out our differences and got drunk and sang and now we’re amazing friends again, but still.”

“Okay, I’m sorry. I promise to never again help you resolve friendship issues by locking you into a room with someone. We were all just sick and tired of dealing with you two. You’re both so stubborn, we knew this would be the only way to force you two to bury the hatchet.”

“Yeah, we have been kind of big pains in the butt, haven’t we,” she sighed and snuggled into Ben’s side. “I’m really sorry about yesterday and the whole notary thing and giving you a hard time. I was just so furious at Ron that I couldn’t move past it. You ended up getting caught in the middle and it affected you big time. Ugh, I mean you had to spend the whole day with Terry.”

“Yeah, I’d rather not talk about it.”

“Don’t blame you. So, can you forgive me?” she pleaded with her big, blue eyes.

“Of course. Just please try to remember that yes, I’m your husband and I love you, but I also have to do my job and be impartial.”

“I know, I know, you’re right. You know how I get when I get blinded by motivation and rage.”

“Yes, I do, and you’ve passed it on to our children. I’m grossly outnumbered.”

Leslie laughed and squeezed her husband’s waist. “Ben?”

“Hmm?”

“Do you think I’m letting my job get in the way of what’s important?”

“What do you mean?”

She turned in his arms to look up at him. “Do you think I’m running the risk of letting this happen again? I mean, this whole thing between me and Ron started because I got so busy with work I forgot about a lunch date with him and stood him up. Then, we both let our work come between us. What if I get so consumed with things that I let other friendships suffer. I hardly see Donna and Tom anymore, and the only reason I see April, Andy, and Terry is because we  _do_  work together. 

“What if—what if I’m starting to put work first and I don’t even realize it. I love my job, I love working, but I don’t want to turn around one day and realize that the people around me have suffered because of it.” She swallowed. “I don’t want anything like that to happen between us or the kids.”

Ben stared at her in disbelief. “I don’t even know where to begin to tell you how wrong you are. Yes, things happen, and work can sometimes get in the way, but you’ve never,  _never_  let it come between you and the people you love. It’s just what happens over time, Leslie. People find new jobs, they move away, and their schedules don’t permit them to be around each other all of the time, but that doesn’t diminish those relationships. Friendships are true friendships because they exist despite all the other stuff that gets in the way.

“Ann’s been gone for over three years now, and she’s still your best friend. Why? Because distance doesn't make you stop loving each other. Granted, none of us see Donna and Tom much, but that’s because we all have our own things going on. They are both running their own businesses, and we have hectic jobs and three toddlers that are slowly destroying us. It’s what happens in life, but it doesn’t mean we all aren’t still friends. I mean, Donna stayed away from social media in order to tell you about her engagement before anyone else found out because after all this time, she’s still your friend and knew how much it meant to you.

"This thing with Ron, it’s a little different. You’re both stubborn, headstrong, strong-willed, unwilling to compromise-”

“Okay, gosh I get it. I thought this was supposed to make me feel better.”

“What I’m trying to say is that you’re both very passionate about what you believe in, but also so stubborn that you refused to back down even at the expense of your friendship. But bottom line, deep down, you both still cared about the other and wanted to resolve things. You both made some mistakes-”

“I think he made a few more than me,” she mumbled.

“-But you were able to push those differences aside because love and friendship will  _always_ come first to you. And don’t worry about the kids. The triplets love you and know you love them. They are gonna grow up seeing how amazing their mommy is at her job, and even though her work sometimes takes her away from them, she’ll always be there no matter what.”

She smiled tearfully. “And what about us,” she teased. 

"Well, I knew the mess I was signing up for when we got married, so…”

“Sucker,” she whispered before bringing her lips to his. “Thank you. How do you always manage to know what to say to make me feel better?”

“I’m just good like that.”

She eyed him up and down like he was a can of whipped cream. “Yes, yes you are. The emotional storm of sadness has passed and now my body is pumping with gratitude because I have you to thank for this reconciliation, and also guilt that I treated you so poorly yesterday. We have about what, an hour or so before the kids come home?”

Ben looked at his watch. “Uh, yeah something like that. If you wanted, I can start dinner and you can rest some more before they come back.”

“Oh no, we are ordering out tonight,” she shook her head slowly, “because you will be too busy to cook.”

“Oh, what am I doing?”

“Not what, who. And the answer is me.”

Ben’s eyes widened and he glanced down again at his watch. “Shit, we only have 50 minutes now.” He grabbed her arm and ran up the stairs, Leslie’s cackle filling the house.

~~~~~

“I don’t know how you could have thought that your work could possibly come between us,” Ben breathed from between her thighs, his hot breath on her making Leslie shiver in anticipation.

She had already spent a great deal of their limited time together making amends to her amazingly sexy husband. She had slowly stripped him of his suit, piece by piece, kissing every inch of the skin she exposed.

With her hands and her mouth, she thanked him. As she licked his chest, she thanked him for his support. With a sweep of her hands across his nipples, she thanked him for his wisdom. She thanked him for his patience with a trail of kisses down his abdomen, and as she pulled him into her mouth, she thanked him for his love. 

“Nothing can take me away from you,” he continued while placing teasing kisses everywhere but where she needed them. “They’ve already tried using work to keep us apart, and it didn’t happen. We’re always worth every risk.”

Leslie was unable to answer because his tongue landed in just the right spot. It was his turn to give thanks. 

He spelled out his gratitude on her clit with his tongue, it showed in every squeeze of his hands on her breasts. Her passion, her perseverance, her kindness and consideration, his appreciation for all of them were expressed as he slowly brought her to the brink. 

When he slid himself into her, they were both thanking each other for this moment, for all of the other moments. For their new lives, their children, their happiness. For him staying in Pawnee, for her giving him a reason to stay, for the adversity they had faced and overcome.

As the two found their release, they were most thankful for each other. 

* * *

 

Hours later, after the children had come home, after dinner was ordered and eaten, after playtime and baths, the five of them were cuddled together and ready for story time. 

"Hey, guys, are you ready to hear the story about your Uncle Ron?”


	6. Campaign Freakout

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “And I guess,” he sighed, “I guess I’m scared this is gonna be another Ice Town. I mean, it almost happened with Gryzzl. I screwed up. They had every legal right to data mine because of my mistake. If it wasn’t for how bad it made them look, the whole town would hate me. I couldn’t live with myself if I screwed up again.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A ficlet set during Ben's congressional campaign storyline.

“It’s official. I hate this." 

Ben ran a hand through his already mussed hair and threw another pile of papers on his desk. It took a moment before he realized his hand was shaking, from fear, anger, or stress, he wasn’t sure. Maybe a weird combination of the three.

Leslie shot him an exasperated look.

"No, I’m serious this time, Leslie. I hate this, I really do. I hate going around asking people for money for the campaign. I hate doing all of this stupid research. And I really hate that I haven’t slept in almost two days. I don’t want to do this anymore.”

Leslie’s eyebrow shot up almost to her hairline. “Really, Ben? You’ve literally done all of this before, for not one, but two candidates. You live for this stuff.”

“Well, that was because I wholeheartedly believed that my candidates would win.”

“Aww, babe, thanks.” She grinned at the compliment before her face turned stern. “But, seriously, what’s wrong?”

He shrugged and avoided her gaze. “I don’t know, maybe it’s sleep deprivation or something.”

“Nope, you’re not getting out of this one that easy. We have three toddlers, Ben. We live in a constant state of sleep deprivation, and this is way beyond that. You can blame the time you accidentally dressed Wesley in one of Sonia’s dresses on lack of sleep, but not threatening to drop out of your campaign. Tell me what’s wrong." 

She crossed her arms and walked over to sit at the edge of his desk. She was giving him that look. The  _mom_  look that she miraculously acquired the second she gave birth to the triplets. It was the ‘don’t lie to me’ look that his children, and now he, feared.

"I just—I’m really starting to doubt if this is a good idea or not. Do I really have the right experience for this? What if I lose? There are just so many possibilities right now.”

Leslie didn’t look like she believed him. 

“And I guess,” he sighed, “I guess I’m scared this is gonna be another Ice Town. I mean, it almost happened with Gryzzl. I screwed up. They had every legal right to data mine because of my mistake. If it wasn’t for how bad it made them look, the whole town would hate me. I couldn’t live with myself if I screwed up again.”

“Oh, honey, what brought this on? We’ve talked about this before, and I thought you got past it.”

Ben reached for a pile of letters on his desk and handed them to Leslie. “I received those today.”

Leslie’s eyes bulged as she scanned the papers. “Are these-“

“Letters from various Partridge residents begging and/or threatening me to withdraw my candidacy and not ruin Southern Indiana like I ruined the town? Yeah. With my campaign getting more attention, apparently the news has reached over to Minnesota, and my lovely former townspeople are taking action. And Hartwell is doing his best to keep Ice Town at the forefront of everyone’s mind.”

“You know this is a bunch of crap, right? They’re just stupid people who can’t let go of the past and see how much you’ve grown and all the good you’ve done.”

“But what if they’re right? What if I’m just dooming everyone by running. I mean, no matter how much good I seem to do, one mention of Ice Town is enough to negate everything. And let’s say I win. What happens if I mess up then?”

Ben dropped his head and said in a whisper, “I wouldn’t survive another disaster like that.”

Leslie reached out to cup his cheek. “Babe, nothing like that is going to happen. And even if it did, we’d get through it. I have faith in you. Please, don’t let this upset you.”

He looked up at her with a pained expression. “You don’t understand, Leslie. You could never understand. Ice Town—it broke me.  I couldn’t leave the house out of fear someone would physically harm me. My friends didn’t talk to me anymore. My parents were so ashamed no matter how much they tried to hide it. My brother hated me, and my sister had to pretend she didn’t know me to avoid being shoved into a locker every day at school. I was run out of the town that I loved.”

He grasped the hand that rested on his cheek. “Until I found you and Pawnee, I never thought I’d be truly happy again. I was running from my mistakes, trying to make up for my past, believing I deserved every bad thing that happened. But then you came along. You gave me a home, Leslie. You gave me a family and the greatest friends.” His voice broke. “I couldn’t live with the guilt of letting you all down. I lost everything I loved the first time around, I can’t risk that again. I wouldn’t survive it this time.”

Leslie pulled her hand away and stared at him. He couldn’t read her face, which always scared him. There were just so many different emotions there, Ben wasn’t even sure if she knew what she was feeling.

The next thing he knew, Leslie started hitting him in various places on his arms and chest. Just as he was about to protest, she grabbed his face and peppered it with kisses. 

“What’s happening right now?” he questioned as she ceased her kissing and starting hitting him again. 

“How could you possibly think,” another kiss, “that any of that,” kiss, “is true?" 

"I am very confused.”

“I’m both furious and heartbroken that you could possibly think that we’d turn our backs on you, so I was torn between knocking some sense into you out of anger or kissing you to make it all better, so I did both.”

“Uhm, okay?”

“I love you, Ben. I love you more than I ever thought possible to love somebody. And this is  _me_ talking. You know how much love that has to be?! We’ve stood by each other through so much, sacrificed so much. We have amazing kids, dream jobs that are just going to get better, and friends who would do anything for us. Don’t you ever, for one second, think you’ll lose us.”

"But-”

“No, no buts.” Leslie started to tear up. “I can’t believe you thought something like that would make our friends abandon you. And the kids are so proud of you. They love you so much and think everything you do is the greatest. You could never disappoint them." The tears were coming in earnest now. "And that I would turn my back on you—leave you.”

She couldn’t finish and buried her face into Ben’s chest, squeezing him as she cried.

“Shh, babe, I’m so sorry,” he soothed. “I didn’t mean it. I was just letting my fear and paranoia get the best of me.”

“Never, never say anything like that again.” Her voice was muffled by his shirt until Ben pulled away and kissed her tears.

“I won’t, I’m sorry.”

“I mean it, Ben Wyatt. We are going to spend the rest of our lives loving and supporting each other because that’s what we do. And if you somehow royally mess this up-”

“Please don’t say that-”

“It’ll be okay. We’ll get through it. But you won’t mess up. You’ll be amazing because you’re amazing. Plus, you have something great that you didn’t have last time.”

“Oh yeah? What’s that?” he grinned.

“Me. I won’t let you do anything stupid. Together, we will be unstoppable. The new D.C. Power Couple.”

“I like the sound of that.”

“You should. I’ve already made t-shirts.”

Ben chuckled. “Why am I not surprised.” He kissed her once more. “You feel better now?”

She shook her head. “Yes, are you through thinking ludicrous thoughts not based in reality?”

“Oh, yes.” Ben looked around the empty office that had become his campaign headquarters. “How about we take a little break, huh? Roz isn’t expecting us back tonight, and I just realized that we have yet to christen this office.”

"And you’re worried about messing up in Congress. You’re full of great ideas.”


	7. Consummate Professionals

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> No one really pays attention to what goes on under the tables during meetings, right?

“You’re excited. Like, way more excited than usual. Why?” April asked as she watched a very pregnant Leslie gather files from her desk.

“What do you mean? I’m always excited before a meeting.”

April arched her brow.

“Okay, well this is the first big meeting that I have with Ben since I moved to the National Parks Service, so I guess I’m a little excited. We don’t get to work together as often now.”

“Oh yeah, I keep forgetting he’s the City Janitor.”

“Manager, April.”

“Whatever. You’re not gonna be all gross with each other are you?”

“When have we ever done that in a meeting?”

“Seriously? How about all of the time,” April shot back.

“Alright, so maybe in the past we’ve not been the most professional, but that was around you guys. This meeting means a lot to both Pawnee and the National Parks Service, so we will be consummate professionals. We even talked about it at home. We won’t show any favoritism to one anther. We’re not married, we’re two government officials having an important discussion.” Leslie rested a binder on her belly. “Ready to go?”

“Yeah, I guess so.”

“Okay, I’ll tell Karen and Mike we’ll meet them downstairs.”

Ben and his associates were already in the conference room by the time Leslie and her staff walked in. The two exchanged a glance, but it was clear they were doing their best to remain aloof and neutral. 

“Ms. Knope, prompt as usual,” Ben said as he extended his hand. “Allow me to introduce you to Rob and Alexa. They’ll be helping me handle some of the budget work.”

“Pleasure to meet you. This is April, Mike, and Karen who will be heading the project.”

The group exchanged pleasantries before getting seated, Ben and Leslie next to one another. 

Leslie was listening as Mike presented his portion of the project when she felt something rub against her leg very briefly. She looked over at Ben’s impassive face, listening to Mike and taking notes.

Just as she was about to disregard it as an accident, she felt it again. This time, however, she felt the top of his foot slowly rub up and down the side of her calf.

Definitely not an accident. 

She didn’t know to respond without giving them away, especially since Ben was doing an excellent job of looking innocent. Only she could see the almost imperceptible hint of mischief in his eye.

She tore out a blank piece of paper from her binder and slid a note over to him.

_What are you doing?_

Ben glanced at it briefly before pulling it in front of him and writing. 

_Trying to pay attention to this presentation. What are YOU doing?_

_I’m serious, Ben. I thought we were going to be professionals here._

_We were going to look professional. And no one can see my foot, sooooo._

Leslie huffed and threw the paper inside of her folder.

“-And we foresee a two to three year timeline. Isn’t that right, Leslie?” Karen asked from across the table.

Her head shot up. “Huh, oh yes. No more than that.”

 Ben tried to stifle a smile, and she wanted to strangle him. Her look in his direction said as much.

The rubbing on her leg stopped and she gave a sigh of relief. As much as she pretended to be annoyed, she was getting slightly turned on. Her pregnancy hormones were in full swing, and sometimes the slightest touch from her husband would set her off.

She was intently listening to April when a hand enclosed around her knee, a thumb making small circles across her skin.

She told herself to ignore it, that Ben was trying to get a rise out of her, but she couldn’t focus. Not when his fingers were trailing up and down her leg and thigh. Since she was going to the bathroom practically every half hour, she had taken to wearing skirts without pantyhose to work.

And now Ben was taking full advantage.

She hated how smug he looked, how calm and collected he was when she could barely concentrate. Her breaths were coming quicker and quicker as his hand traveled further up her thigh.

She wanted to tell him to stop, but she didn’t want him to stop. He knew how she liked to be touched, and now he was doing it in a room full of their coworkers. 

It thrilled her, Ben touching her so intimately when they could be caught any minute. 

She wasn’t sure how long she could last, especially with Ben’s finger tracing the crease where her underwear met her skin, the top of his hand occasionally brushing the underside of her belly. 

He must be able to feel how turned on she was, the moisture and heat he was creating only inches away from where his fingers crawled. When he finally swiped his thumb across the bundle of nerves he knew so well, Leslie squeaked.

“Oh, uhm, sorry, one of the babies just kicked really hard,” she responded when every pair of eyes turned to look at her. 

“Oh don’t worry about it,” Karen answered with a smile. “My second one was practically a kickboxer.”

Leslie was relieved that everyone seemed to buy her lie, and she shot Ben a dirty look, but he only winked back. 

He knew,  _knew_  that no matter how many dirty looks she sent his way, that she wanted this. It made her feel powerful, sexy, that he was touching her like this in public. 

Ben’s fingers continued to work, not even stopping when he interjected a comment here and there. He was proving himself to be an excellent multitasker.

Leslie clenched her fists on top of her belly, biting her lip to keep quiet as her husband’s fingers worked between her thighs. Just as she felt herself getting close, Ben pulled his hand away.

“Well, I think this is a good place to take a break for lunch,” he told the table. “How about we reconvene in an hour?”

The group nodded and began to file out, all except for Leslie, who stayed seated as she tried to calm herself.

“You are evil, Ben Wyatt.”

He feigned innocence. “Me? What did I do?”

“You know how it is with these pregnancy hormones. I thought we were going to strictly act like nothing but coworkers.”

“I wanted to, babe. Really, I did, but this kinda fulfilled a fantasy for me. Acting all cool and professional when I really just want to take you right here on this conference table. So, I improvised a little bit. Don’t tell me you didn’t love it.”

“I did,” she groaned, “I really did.” She pulled herself out of the chair. “But don’t think for one second you’re getting away with this. We have an hour before we meet again. You’re taking me to your office and finishing what you started.”

He guided her into the hallway with a hand on her lower back. “An excellent idea, Ms. Knope. A truly excellent idea.”


	8. Flight Restrictions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Never let it be said that a little thing like pregnancy would get in the way of Leslie Knope doing her job.

“So, basically, there’s now a mad-dash by all of the Regional Directors to present their case at Interior and get the grant money. April and I are gonna have to fly out tomorrow to give our presentation.”

Ben stared at her from across the dining room table. “You know you can’t do that, right?”

“What do you mean I can’t do that? Why not?”

“Why not? Leslie, you are in the third trimester of a very high-risk pregnancy. No doctor  _or_  airline in their right mind is going to let you fly.”

"What?” she scoffed. “Oh, this is a joke, right? It has to be because that’s how ridiculous this sounds to me right now.”

Ben put down his fork and ran a hand through his hair. “It’s not a joke. I mean technically you can go into labor at any time, and since we’re having triplets, the chances of them being premature are at almost 90%.”

“I know. I read books,” Leslie huffed as she crossed her arms. “What’s your point?”

“My point is that it’s not safe. What if you go into labor on the plane? The babies are probably going to need a lot of neonatal care once their born. It’s too risky.”

Leslie sighed, absently running a hand over her protruding stomach. “Yeah, you’re right.”

“Good. Besides, April can probably handle this on her own, right? Maybe, send a few other staffers just to be safe.”

“What? No, I mean I love April and she’s the greatest person that has ever lived, but she can’t do this alone yet. She’s only just started, really. No, I’ll still be giving the presentation.”

“But, I thought-”

Leslie stood up from her chair, not an easy task, and clutched at her lower back as she started walking out of the room. “I’m going to Washington, Ben. But since I can’t fly, you are going to come upstairs with me, pack, and call out of work for the next two days.”

“Uhm, why?”

“Because you’re driving me, and we’re gonna have to leave tonight if I’m going to make it on time. I’ve already started mentally mapping out a route and making a list of potential hospitals on the way in case I go into labor. Come on, get that cute, little butt moving. We have a long drive ahead of us.”


	9. Epiphanies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Post- Two Funerals; Ben comes home with his new found appreciation for everything that Ice Town has given him.

Something was off with Ben. It wasn’t a bad off, mind you, just…off. He had an extra bounce in his step as he walked, an almost constant, genuine smile on his face that Leslie didn’t think had anything to do with Mayor Gergich floating away in a hot air balloon, and he was being overly affectionate. 

Not that Leslie was complaining, either. She loved seeing this side of him, especially the more affectionate side. In public, she was usually the one to instigate things, but as Ben pressed a kiss to the side of her neck for the hundredth time that day, Leslie knew something was up. 

“God, babe, this is just so amazing,” he mumbled against the skin between her neck and shoulder. “I know this was all originally for Tom, but still, it’s just amazing. I still can’t believe you threw all of this together so fast. _You’re_  fucking amazing.”

"Well, you’re certainly in a good mood today. What brought this on?”

He wrapped his arms tightly around her middle and crushed her against him, his nose nuzzling her ear, making her shiver. “Why shouldn’t I be in a good mood? I’m running for congress, I have a job I love, I just chose the new mayor of Pawnee, I have three wonderful children, great friends, and the sexiest, most perfect wife anyone could hope for.”

“Well, when you put it that way…” she grinned. “But I have to ask, why Gary? I know it’s only temporary, but I guess I kind of assumed you’d take it over. We both know you were basically running the town anyway.”

He sighed, causing her hair to tickle the side of her face. “That’s what April had said too, actually. And I was going to take it, right up until the second before I signed the paperwork, but I couldn’t do it.”

“Why not? Oh, Ben, was it because of Ice Town?” Her heart sank, and she hated that stupid city of Partridge for taking something  _else_  away from him. 

“Yeah, it was, but not in the way that you’re thinking. Sure, at first I was scared to take it because of what happened, but then I saw this as my way of maybe making up for it. Then I realized that I would be doing this to run away from Ice Town, pretend like it never happened, and I didn’t want that.”

Leslie craned her neck to look up at him. “Really? I don’t understand. I thought that’s what you’ve always wanted. What you’ve been trying to do since you were 18.”

“It was. Almost everything I’ve done in my life since then has been to distance myself from it, prove to everyone that I was more than Ice Town. But I realized something.”

“What?”

“I realized that I owe everything that I am, everything that I have to that disaster. I love my life now. I love Pawnee, my job, you and the kids, and Ice Town is the reason that I have any of this. It took me over twenty years, but I’ve come to terms with it. Ice Town will always be a part of me, and that’s not a bad thing anymore. I thought I was trying to prove myself to everyone _else,_ but all along I just needed to prove that I was good enough to me.”

He gave her another kiss. “And if Ice Town is the reason that I have you, I can’t be any more grateful.”

"Neither can I, Ben,” she said with a soft smile. “Neither can I." 


	10. The Second Time They've Ever Had Sex

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Based on the prompt-- 'Auntie April' brings the kids to City Hall, accidentally finds Ben and Leslie starting to get physical [but not in time to stop them/act grossed out/evilly ruin their fun], and has to play with the triplets/distract them until they're done.

“Okay, my little minions, who’s ready to see Mommy and Daddy?”

Three small voices answer their Auntie April with a yell of excitement.

April pretty much hates everything and everyone, but she’s actually proud to admit that these three munchkins are the coolest little humans she’s ever met, and she loves them with an intensity usually only reserved for Andy and Champion. 

She leads the triplets down the hallway towards Ben’s office and is about to open the door when she hears a thud and crash come from inside, followed by a string of hushed curses.

“Shhh, babe, we gotta be quiet,” she hears Ben say when she presses her ear to the door.

“I know, I’m sorry, but you just kinda of heaved me onto your desk. I didn’t mean to knock that over,” Leslie whispers back. 

“Okay, but we have to hurry up before the kids get here.”

April is about to open the door when she hears a moan that freezes her hand on the doorknob. 

“Oh, fuck, babe, you’re so tight.”

“God, you feel amazing.”

April is physically repelled from the door, wishing she could gouge out her eardrums with a dull object.

“Uhm, okay guys, Mommy and Daddy are in a very important…business meeting. Who wants to go out to the courtyard and look for dead pigeons?”

“Yeah! I wanna find one with worms in it for Uncle Andy,” Steven says. 

“He’d really love that. Let’s go, guys.” She practically shoves the kids down the hall as fast as she can, cursing her luck.

Because, really, what are the odds that she’d overhear them the second time they’ve ever had sex?


	11. Things You Said Too Quietly

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> things you said too quietly

Bless you. Also, I pre-apologize for this. Season 4 AU

Leslie sat on the bench in the tiny park,  _their_  tiny park and waited. She honestly didn’t know what she was expecting, what they’d say to each other once he got there,  _if_  he would even bother to show up.

But he did, because of course he would, and she poured out her heart. She apologized for her selfishness, for her anger, for everything she had done to make him not want to be on her team anymore.

Telling him that she would understand if he never wanted to see her again was hands down the hardest thing she’d ever done. With every fiber of her being, she hoped that it wouldn’t come to that, that he’d forgive her and say that they could be friends again.

But he didn’t.  

With a sigh, he stood up and walked away.

What was worse, what she would never forgive herself for, was that she let him.

“Let’s just say ‘screw it’, and do this thing for real.”

But he was already too far to hear, and her whisper was carried away by the wind.


	12. Things You Said When You Were Scared

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “What if I don’t win?”

“What if I don’t win?”

Her voice is quiet, muffled by Ben’s chest as she holds onto him, gripping him as though he’s the source of her courage. 

“But you will,” he answers back, so confident and sure.

“The election is tomorrow, and we’re neck and neck in the polls. There’s a good chance that I’ll lose.”

He sighs into her hair, running a hand up and down her back. “Okay, so let’s say tomorrow you lose. It will suck, like, I mean, really suck. You’ll probably cry and not want to get out of bed for a little while. I’ll go on food runs to JJ’s and bring back comfort waffles and whipped cream. You’ll eat, cry some more, we’ll cuddle a lot, some more crying maybe, then I’ll draw you a nice bubble bath, maybe give you a massage. Then you know what we’re gonna do?”

“Go to Disney World?”

He laughs. “Sure, if you want to. But I was thinking more along the lines of the next step. If you lose, then it wasn’t meant to be, and we look for what you’re gonna do next. This election won’t define you. If tomorrow comes and you lose, guess what? You’re still Leslie Knope. I’ll still love you and be here for you, so will all of our friends, because we believe in you and know you’ll do great and amazing things no matter what your job title is.”

Her lips quirk in a half-smile. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, but don’t worry about it. You’re going to win, so  _please_  try to get more than an hour’s worth of sleep.”

She presses a kiss to his chest, closes her eyes, and believes him.


	13. Risk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> things you said after you kissed me & things you said when you were scared

“Uh oh,” she says as she pulls away, his hand still caressing the side of her face and neck.

“I,uhm, I’m-not sorry I did that. Should I be?”

“I don’t- I don’t know. No? Definitely no. Except, maybe yes? Oh God, two minutes ago I was saying that it’s a good thing nothing happened, and now-”

His thumb strokes her cheek. “Hey, calm down, it’s gonna be okay.”

“How can you say that?! We-I thought…Ugh this is just too much right now. You just kissed me in City Hall, outside of Chris’ office, where if he comes in and sees, he will undoubtedly fire both of us.”

“I told you, Chris went home already.”

“And what if he comes back because he forgot his multivitamin or some stupid running shirt? What then, Ben?”

He drops his hand and takes a step back. “You’re right. I’m-I shouldn’t have done that. I just thought-” He scrunches his face like he’s about to be sick. “I wasn’t thinking. I just had to do that, at least once, but you’re right, that was stupid and irresponsible. I’m sorry.”

“No, don’t apologize,” she sighs. “I’m just freaking out a little. Honestly, if Chris hadn’t shown up last night at dinner, I had every intention of coming back to that table and making out with you so hard.”

He gives her a lopsided grin. “Really?”

“Yeah,” she smiles sheepishly. “And please, don’t apologize for the kiss. It was…nice.”

“Just nice?”

“Okay, better than nice. Great. Amazing.”

“My ego thanks you.”

She can’t help but laugh, and she looks up at him and his cute face and perfectly disheveled hair. “So, now what?”

“You know where I stand, Leslie. I’m willing to do this, but the decision is yours. I guess if you think this is worth whatever risk-”

She shuts him up with her lips, because yes, this-whatever this is-is definitely worth the risk.


	14. Things You Said When We Were On Top of the World

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Well, buddy, I’ve got some good news for you.”

He stares, a smile slowly creeping on his face as the meaning behind her words fully hits him.

“You’re-we’re gonna-really?!”

She nods and can’t hold back the giggle of excitement. “Yeah, I found out today when Andy and I were trying to get Chipp Mccapp to do the Unity Concert. I got sick this morning and thought it was the flu, but it wasn’t.”

“Is that why you called? Babe, I’m so sorry. I was drunk on blueberry wine and then dropped my phone in a puddle-oh God. I sound ridiculous. I’m gonna be a dad, and I did that?”

She runs a hand down his arm. “Hey, don’t freak out. It’s fine, okay. But did you hear what you said?” She’s smiling so wide that her cheeks are hurting, but she can’t stop. “You said you’re gonna be a dad. We’re having a baby!”

Ben engulfs his wife in a tight hug, standing up to spin her around as she laughs in his ear.

"Oh, wait,” he panics once he sets her down, “should I not have done that. Is that bad for the baby?”

“Don’t make a habit of it, but I think we’re fine,” she grins. 

His hands hover over her face, then travel down her body to her stomach, just barely grazing her clothes as though he’s afraid his touch will break her. “We’re gonna…wow.”

“It’s pretty amazing, right?”

“I can’t even tell you how happy I am right now. You’ve made me the happiest man in the whole world.”

He drops to his knees, lifting up the bottom of her shirt so he can press a kiss to her stomach. “Hey, baby,” he says choking back tears, “it’s your daddy.”

Leslie runs a hand through his hair as he whispers to their unborn child, tears threatening her own eyes. He looks up at her, their faces mirror images of one another.

He jumps up, pulling the mother of his child in for kiss that he hopes conveys even a fraction of what he’s feeling for her at that moment. 

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, but I didn’t do it alone, so thank you, too.”

“Speaking of-I mean, is it okay if we, ya know, celebrate? Like, is it bad for the baby?”

“Are you asking if it’s safe for us to have sex?”

His bashful grin is the only response.

“Yes, it’s perfectly fine. In fact, come my second trimester, I’ll probably be using you exclusively for sex to satisfy my hormones.”

“I have no problems with that.”

She twines her fingers with his and tugs him towards the stairs. “Good. Now let’s get celebrating.”


	15. Things You Said at the Kitchen Table

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “So, Grant Larson came by my office today.”

“So, Grant Larson came by my office today.”

“Oh… _oh_ , and you were wearing that?” He waves his hand over her tie-dye t-shirt.

“Yeah, it was a bit of a shock for him, I’m sure. Not exactly the best first impression between this and the shiner, but what can you do.”

“But it’s still good right? They’re gonna give you the National Park status?”

“Uhm, not exactly, no.”

He drops his fork and gives her a confused look. “So, he came all the way out here to reject your proposal? Seems a bit much.”

“That’s not what he came to talk to me about. As it turns out, he read my proposal to clean up the Pawnee River, and was really impressed by it. Apparently, a lot of people at Interior were. Get this, Liam Bonneville read it and used it to embarrass his staffers. How amazing is that?”

Her smile is infectious, and Ben mirrors it. “Wow, that is amazing, babe. I’m so proud of you. But isn’t it a little late for that? I mean the cleanup has been going on for well over a year now.”

Leslie places both of her palms against the smooth surface of the table and takes a deep breath. “That’s kind of what I want to talk to you about. Grant didn’t just come to congratulate me. He offered me a job.”

Ben’s eyes almost bulge out of his head, and he reaches forward to grab Leslie’s hand. “Oh my God, that’s amazing! What’s the job?”

“Well, it turns out that they are opening up a new branch headquarters, and they want me to run it. The only problem is that it’s in Chicago.”

He doesn’t bat an eye. “Wow! That’s-I don’t know what to say. That’s great. Have you decided yet what you want to do?”

“I told him I’d take some time to think about it, but I can’t take this job, Ben. It’s in Chicago.  _Chicago_. We’d have to move, and I’d have to leave Pawnee and my job, and you just started your job as City Manager, and I can’t ask you to quit now. I mean it’s an honor that they thought of me, but I don’t think I can do it.”

He reaches for her other hand and brings both to his lips. “Leslie, you know that whatever you decide, I’ll be behind you 100%, and if you choose to not take this job because you don’t want it, or you don’t want to move, that’s fine. But if you’d be staying for me, don’t. This-this is an incredible career opportunity for you. It’s the National Parks Service, your dream job. Sure, I like my job, but I can always get another one. You’ve spent your whole life and career putting everyone else first. Maybe it’s time you went after something you wanted.”

“How do you always know exactly what to say?”

“It’s a gift,” he shrugs and squeezes her hands. “So, what do you think?”

She sighs deeply. “I don’t know yet, but I won’t rule it out completely. I’ll try to find out as much as I can about the job so I can make the best informed decision once the time comes. Are you sure you have no objections?”

“None at all. I love Pawnee, but I love you more. My home will be wherever you are.”

“God, you are the sexiest, most perfect husband-slash-advice giver on the planet, and I want to do really dirty things to you right now.”

He pulls her from her seat, and she giggles as she follows him upstairs, their dinner left untouched on the table.


	16. Things You Said With Too Many Miles Between Us

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “How was your flight?”

“How was your flight?” Ben asked, curled up in a bed that feels too empty without his wife in it.

“Pretty good actually. Since I’m in my second trimester, the nausea was almost non-existent this time.”

“That’s good. So, you four doing okay, then? I miss you.”

He could hear her smile through the phone. “We miss you, too. Other than some swollen feet and a backache from sitting down so much, I’m doing pretty good.”

“Aw, babe, I’m sorry. I wish I could be there to give you a foot rub, maybe draw you a nice, hot bath.”

“Hmm,” Leslie moaned, “that sounds amazing.”

“I bet they put you up in a really nice suite, too. With a big bathtub, big enough for two, even.”

“It also has Jacuzzi jets.”

“Ohhh, that sounds fun,” he said in a gravelly voice. “Remember the last time we played around in a Jacuzzi?”

“How could I forget? Ugh, my hormones are going crazy. You don’t know how badly I need you here right now.”

“I think I have an idea,” he hummed, loosening the knot on his lounge pants. “How about you go draw yourself that bath, and then I’ll tell you every, little thing I’d do to you if I was there.”

He could hear her starting to take off her clothes “Only if you promise I get the real thing once I’m home.”

“You don’t even have to ask.”


	17. Things you didn’t say at all and Things you said after it was over

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Set During “The Treaty”

“Ben, how are we going to get Kathy Ireland to do naked aerobics for them?”

She can’t help but tease him, to make him smile after the hell she’s put him through today. She also wants to show him that yes, she knows him, he’s confided in her things he hasn’t told anyone else. She’s reminding him of what they once had.

“Okay, I regret telling you that  _very_  much.”

It feels good to laugh with him like this again, like they used to before her campaign took him away from her. She tries not to think about when he first told her his teenage fantasy, how she was naked, wrapped in his arms while they swapped stories of their childhood.

It kills her that they actually have to come up with an agreement to spend time together, but she’ll do anything if it means Ben will talk to her. Is it desperate? Maybe. Selfish? Almost certainly, but she can’t let him go.

She’s spent every day since their breakup trying to rationalize her choices, that being apart was better for her campaign, that they could continue on as though nothing happened. 

As they think of a way to make it up to the students, Leslie pretends that things are okay again, and as soon as they’re done here, they’re going to eat dinner together at JJ’s and snuggle up on her couch.

But of course, that doesn’t happen. They come up with their plan, and he leaves without looking back.

And as she watches him walk away, she knows just how wrong she is, but she can’t bring herself to admit it. 


	18. Winter is Coming for Sir Ben Lightstorm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Based on a fic prompt dealing with Ben's knighting

During the entire car ride home, Ben kept fidgeting, staring at his hands before reverently touching his shoulders, a look of pure awe on his face.

“You doing okay, there?” Leslie asked as she glanced at him out of the corner her eye.

“I don’t know, I just  _feel_  different, you know? Like, I feel this energy pulsing through me.”

"That’s…normal.”

* * *

 

He sighed and sat back against the seat. “You don’t understand, babe. This is-this is like the ultimate dream come true for me. It’s the best day of my life.” He corrected himself at Leslie’s look. “I mean aside from our wedding day and when the triplets were born, of course, but this-this is amazing.”

“I’m still not convinced he actually has the authority to do that.”

He turned to look at her. “No, Leslie, I don’t think you know how rich this guy is. He  _might_  be richer than the royal family, but they’re just keeping it under wraps. This is legit.”

Leslie just shrugged. “Okay, if it makes you happy.”

“How can you not be more excited about this?” he asked incredulously. “You’re literally married to a knight. I’m on the same level as Sir Alec Guinness or Sir Ian McKellen.” He stopped and put his hands on her shoulders. “Sir Patrick Stewart, babe. We’re in the same brotherhood.”

“Has Daniel Craig been knighted yet?”

“Uhm, I don’t think so.”

“Hmm, he should be,” she said with a dreamy look in her eyes. 

“Okay, can we focus back to me for a second." 

"Aww, I’m sorry.” Leslie reached out to gently tap Ben’s cheek. “And yes, I don’t fully understand it, but I know this is important to you, so I’m very proud.”

He gave her a lopsided grin. “Thanks. I can’t wait to tell the kids. They’re gonna think I’m so cool.”

“Ben, they’re three,” Leslie laughed, “and you’re their dad. You’re cool by default.”

“I know, but I’m hoping this notoriety will last me well into their early pre-teens.”

She gave him a look that said she didn’t quite believe it, but was going to oblige him anyway. “Oh! What if they go around calling you Sir Daddy, the Knight. How cute would that be?”

“It’s not supposed to be cute,” he muttered to himself. “It’s supposed to be brave and sexy.”

Leslie pulled into their driveway and killed the engine. “I know, and yes, I’m sorry, you’re right. It’s definitely an amazing honor and  _very_  sexy.” She unbuckled her seat belt and leaned over to whisper in his ear. “The Lady of the Castle formerly requests the presence of Sir Ben Lightstorm in her bedchamber before the entire castle gets overrun by three loud and destructive hobbits.” She started playing with his tie. “Does the good knight accept this invitation?”

Ben swallowed and nodded. “God, yes.”


	19. One Last Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leslie and Ben's last night at home before their last day as full time residents of Pawnee.

Leslie wandered from room to room, crying as she clutched a box of tissues. Every so often, she would run a hand over a piece of furniture or knickknack and cry even harder.

“Leslie, please, don’t cry.”

She blew her nose after setting down a framed picture of the triplets. “How can you say that, Ben? This is our last night in this house. The first house that we bought together. The house that we raised our children in.”

Ben sighed. “We’re coming back in a month once we get everything settled in D.C. It’ll be here before you know it.”

“But then we’ll be back as part-time residents. It’s not the same. I’ve never been a part-time resident before!” She was starting to get frantic.

“Leslie, shhh. You’ll wake the kids.”

At this, she started crying again in earnest. “The kids. This is the last night they’re going to spend in those rooms.”

“No, it’s not.”

“Oh, shut up. Can’t you let me grieve in peace?”

He walked over and pulled her into a hug. “I’m sorry, I know this is hard for you.”

“You just don’t understand,” she mumbled into his shirt. “You’re used to moving around. Outside of college, this’ll be the first time I’m living away from Pawnee. And with everyone else moving and going on with their lives, it’s just all changing so quickly.”

“You aren’t having second thoughts, are you?” he asked, pressing a kiss into her hair.

She shook her head. “No, of course not. I know this is the best move for both of us. And Andy and April are coming with us, so that helps some. I don’t know, just knowing I won’t be working at City Hall anymore, or be able to go to JJ’s whenever I want—it’s gonna take some adjusting.”

“Of course. I can understand that.”

Leslie pulled away and sighed. “I don’t know if I’m going to get through tomorrow. If I’m a wreck tonight, I can’t imagine how I’m going to say goodbye to everyone.”

“Well, I predict that we’ll hijack the Parks office, you’ll go over all of the scrapbooks you’ve been making while giving a very in-depth history of your time there, you’ll cry—a lot, the rest of us will say our goodbyes while April and Ron pretend not to care but deep down they really will. It’ll be hard, but we’ll get through it. We always do.”

“You know, if you weren’t so cute, it might be annoying that you’re always right.”

He flashed her a cocky grin. “I can’t help it. I’m just full of wisdom, I guess.”

“You’re full of something, alright.”

He pulled her towards him and kissed her nose. “Yes, undying love and devotion to you.”

“God, you’re so sweet and perfect and have a butt so ripe I just wanna take a bite out of it.” She grabbed his hand and started leading him up the stairs. “We are going to go upstairs and work that bed one last time as full Pawnee citizens.”

“Ooo,” he said into her ear, “I like-”

“Mommy!”

“Daddy!”

The pair hung their heads in defeat as they walked towards their sons’ room.

“Well,” Ben sighed, “it’s good to know some things  _won’t_ change.”


	20. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Leslie calling Ann to tell her that she's pregnant.

Leslie takes a deep breath, unsuccessfully suppressing a smile as she presses the first contact on her speed dial. 

“Leslie?” Ann’s beautiful, melodic voice drifts through the receiver. “Oh, my God, how are you? I feel like we haven’t talked in forever.”

“Hi, Ann. Well, it has been nearly three days since we last spoke, so I think that’s a new record.”

“Ugh, no wonder it felt like an eternity.”

“So, uhm, how are you and Chris and the baby?”

“We’re all good. Chris is still enjoying his new job, and Oliver is growing like a weed. What about you? You sound very happy. I can practically see your smile right now. What’s up?”

“Oh, Ann, you magnificently perceptive bottlenose dolphin. I have the most wonderful, amazing news that there ever was.”

“Don’t keep me in suspense. Tell me!” 

“Ann, Ben and I are having a baby. I’m pregnant.” The line goes silent and Leslie fears the call was dropped. “Ann? Are you still there?”

A few more seconds pass before an excited shriek resounds in Leslie’s ear. “Oh my God this is the greatest news in the entire world! I’m so happy for you. I don’t even know what else to say I’m so excited and happy. Tell me everything–Okay, not  _everything_ , but when did you find out? Do you know when you’re due? Have you started taking your prenatal vitamins?”

Leslie relishes in her best friend’s enthusiasm. “I found out this morning and only told Ben about 20 minutes ago.”

“Oh…is this phone call keeping you from some awesome celebratory sex?”

“Yeah, a little, but it doesn’t matter. Ben and I agreed to keep it a secret from everyone until we have our appointment with the OBGYN, but I had to tell you. And to answer your other question, I honestly have no idea how far along I am. Life has been so crazy lately with the merger and this Unity Concert, and you know how my cycle is irregular anyway-”

“Cuz you don’t sleep and eat too much sugar-”

“But yeah, no clue. We’ll find that out soon enough. Oh, Ann, our babies are going to be so close in age and they’ll grow up together and be best friends and maybe get married.”

“Okay,” Ann chuckles, “let’s not jump ahead of ourselves here. But I just can’t believe it! I’m so happy for the two of you. Seriously, being a parent is so amazing.” Leslie hears some noise in the background. “Oh, Chris just came home. Can I tell him, or did you want to wait.”

“Uhm, no it’s fine. As long as he promises not to spill the beans to anyone here in Pawnee.”

“Chris!” Ann calls over her shoulder. “I’m on the phone with Leslie-”

His voice sounds far away. “Hello, Leslie Knope!”  

“And guess what?”

“Oh, I don’t know! There are so many possibilities as to what I could guess, and the probability of being right on the first try-”

Ann cuts him off, “Leslie and Ben are having a baby. She just found out this morning.”

“Oh, my goodness, Leslie Knope! This is perhaps the greatest news that I have heard since…well since I found out that  _I_  was going to be a father. I…” Chris’ voice starts to waver and he sniffs loudly. “I am so happy that two of my best and most wonderful friends are bringing a new child into this world. It’s just…excuse me.” 

Leslie hears the sound of him running away followed by loud sobbing.

“Don’t worry,” Ann says. “Those are happy tears.”

“Ben and I are very familiar with those.”

Ann sighs. “Leslie, I really can’t tell you how excited and happy I am for you. I love both of you so much. You’ll make such great parents.”

“Thank you. It’s probably one of the scariest things to ever happen to me, but I’m also so excited. I can’t wait.”

“Neither can I. Now, we can talk more later, but I know for a fact that your husband is just waiting to celebrate this with you even more, so I’ll let you go. Give my congratulations to Ben. I love you, Leslie. And I love you, baby Leslie.”

“We love you too, Ann. So, so much.”

* * *

 

One Week Later

“Hi, you’ve reached Ann Perkins. I can’t come to the phone right now, but leave a message at the tone.”

“Ann? Ann, it’s Leslie, Leslie Knope. Your best friend from Pawnee. I know you’re at work right now, but this couldn’t wait. Ann, it’s three. Triplets. We’re having triplets. We knocked it out of the park on the first try. Three babies, can you believe it?! Wait, the doctor said to not get too excited so I’d better calm down. Anyway, call me! I love you.”


	21. Consequences

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Post-Fluoride

Wow, I’m still not over how blue this shirt is,” Ben says as he walks out of the bathroom in his pajama pants and new t-shirt.

“Yeah, it really is blue,” Leslie answers from her spot on the bed, her weak smile not meeting her eyes.

Ben crawls in beside her and props himself up on the headboard. “Hey, what’s wrong? I thought we agreed everything was good?”

Leslie doesn’t answer, instead choosing to situate herself on his lap and bury her face in his chest. Ben immediately wraps his arms around her and pulls her close. 

“Hey, it’s okay, honey,” he soothes. “We’re gonna figure this out.”

“How can you be so understanding and forgiving?” she says into his shirt. “I literally made you lose your job. I was so focused on what I could do and say because I already lost mine that I didn’t even  _think_  of the consequences.”

“Leslie-”

“No, I’m right,” she says before he can protest. “What’s even worse is that this isn’t even the first job you’ve given up because of me. I was indirectly responsible for you leaving your auditor job, was very much directly responsible for you resigning in disgrace, you quit working for Jen Barkley because of me, and now this.”

He strokes her hair and peppers it with soft kisses. “I don’t blame you for any of those.”

She pulls back and braces her hands against his shoulders. “Maybe not now, but you might eventually. I mean, how many opportunities do I have to ruin for you before you start resenting me?” She hangs her head in defeat. “I’m losing my dream job and have no prospects moving forward. You’re the only real thing that I have anymore, and if my selfishness makes me lose you…I couldn’t live with it.” 

“Sweetheart, I–” He moves his hand to her face and forces her to look at him. His thumb runs soothingly across her cheekbone. “I don’t even know how to begin telling you how wrong you are. I meant what I said before about the Sweetums job. I started hating it, but I did it because it was a job. It certainly wasn’t my dream job.”

He sighs. “And the others–the others I gave up because of  _me,_ not you. I wanted to move here to Pawnee and I wanted out of the auditor job, This was my opportunity and you were my added bonus.” He gives her a small smile.

“I resigned in disgrace because I realized that I loved you and you were more important to me than any job. The job at parks meant more to you than the assistant city manager job could ever mean to me. You worked hard for ten years and I wasn’t about to let you lose that. 

“And with the job with Jen, deep down, I always knew there was no way I could do it forever. Being apart from you for those few months alone was hell. When she wanted me to take the job in Florida, she sat me down and told me to think about my future. I did, and you know what?”

“What?” she whispers.

“All I could think about was you. Not that or any other job. Just you. I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you, wherever that might be. That’s not going to change, not now and not ever. When you love someone, you sacrifice things for them.”

Leslie runs a finger along the collar of Ben’s shirt. “Then why does it feel like you’re the one doing all of the sacrificing?”

“You know that’s not true,” he answers. “You were willing to risk your job to start dating me in secret. You put your campaign in jeopardy so that we could go public with our relationship. You told me to go to Washington even though deep down you were scared and didn’t really want me to go, but you knew how great of an opportunity it was for me.”

He tugs on her hand and laces their fingers together. “Babe, you were willing to give a public apology to Sweetumsin a lime green pantsuit just to get me my job back. This is definitely not a one-sided relationship.”

She looks up at him with all of the love and affection she can muster. “How did I get so lucky?”

“I ask myself the same question every day.”

She smiles and leans forward to brush his lips with hers. “You really are a smooth charmer, aren’t you?”  
  
“I must have some moves in me,” he says as he slides his hands beneath her shirt. “I did get you to marry me, after all.”

“Hmm,” she hums as she uses her tongue to blaze a trail from his face down to his chest. “I am a sucker for man with an amazing butt.”

“I knew it,” he says as he slowly lifts her top over her head. “You only married me for my ass.”

She groans when his lips find her breast. “You found me out. Oh God, faster.”

He merely shakes his head. “No way. I’m unemployed now. I have all the time in the world and I plan on taking advantage of that.”

And he does.


	22. Prompt: One more night together before Ben's campaign starts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Set post- Donna and Joe

“We really need to get Roz something special,” Leslie said as Ben swiped the keycard at their hotel room door. 

“Like what? You already offered her a raise and her pick of anything in our house.”

“I don’t know? A car maybe? That’s the only thing I can think of that can compensate her for staying an extra night with the kids.”  

Leslie threw herself on the bed and stretched as Ben took a seat beside her to take off his shoes and jacket.

“I was thinking more along the lines of a nice bonus.”

“It needs to be one hell of a bonus. We sprang this on her the last minute because we were too drunk to properly enjoy our time together yesterday.”

Ben crawled towards her and began nuzzling her neck. “I don’t know, I think we got to enjoy our time last night.”

She hummed. “Yeah, up until the buzz wore off, and about 2 minutes after you finished you ran off and threw up in the bathroom.”

“Oh, yeah. Forgot about that.”

“It doesn’t make a girl feel good when a guy throws up after having sex with her.”

His kisses travel up the length of her neck and across her chin. “I’m sorry, babe. Please know that it had nothing to do with you and everything to do with the several glasses of wine that I drank.”

Leslie turned her head to allow Ben better access. “I forgive you. I probably wasn’t much better.”

“You were amazing,” he mumbled. “It had been so long since you were drunk, I almost forgot how horny you get. Not to mention loud.”

She flushed red at the thought, unable to even hide it considering Ben’s tongue was exploring that entire area. 

“Don’t be embarrassed,” he chastised, his kisses now traveling across the shoulders exposed by her strapless dress. “You were insanely hot. We have toddlers, honey. Do you know the last time I was able to get you to scream like that?”

“I think you came close once a few months ago, but we were interrupted by a potty emergency.”

He hummed against her skin. “Oh, yes. The great potty disaster of 2017.”

“But yes, I do remember you telling me all of your policy positions. God, that was so hot.”

“Well, as of today I am an official candidate.”

She tugged on Ben’s hair and brought him back up to her lips. “Do you have any idea how turned on I am right now? Last night it got me off and we were just  _pretending._ My husband the Congressman. I’m getting wet just thinking about it. _”_

He pulled away and gave her a lopsided grin. “You do know that I just announced my candidacy and might not even win, right?”

Leslie ran her hand lovingly through his hair, giving him a soft smile. “You’re going to win.”

Ben sighed and rested his head against her belly. “I appreciate your faith in me. Honestly, it means the world, but this is congress, babe. I mean, I know I’m qualified, but since when does that mean people vote for you? It’s gonna be crazy between my actual job and the kids. Shit, how am I even going to do this?”

“Honey, calm down. It’s okay. I know you freak out because that’s kind of your thing, but trust me, you’re going to crush this. And remember when I thought Jen’s offer was for me and I said we were too busy? You said if I wanted it, we could make time for it. Well, I’m saying that to you now. We can do this.  _You_  can do this.”

“It’s gonna be insane.”

“Insane, but worth it. We’ve done this before, and you helped me win against a million odds. Now it’s our turn to help you.”

Ben crawled up her body and kissed her gently. “What did I do to deserve you?”

“Put that mouth to better use and remind me,” she teased. “Besides, we have three kids, two jobs, and a campaign to run starting tomorrow. This might be the last chance we get to do this without a ten minute time limit.”

She flipped over and let Ben pull down the zipper of her dress, placing nips and kisses on every new inch of exposed skin.

“God, you’re so right,” he murmured after their clothes were off and he took his place between her legs. “We really do need to get Roz that car.” 


	23. Better Than A Thank You Card

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt idea: Post Ben announcing Leslie is running for Governor -- Leslie reacts when they get home.

There is something about being back in Pawnee that makes everything seem so much more intense, more familiar. Pawnee is home, and it seems only fitting that this is the place where she announces to her loved ones that she is running for governor.

It doesn’t matter that he technically does the announcing for her, because there was honestly never a question. Deep down, he always knew it was going to be her. Everyone did.

They are barely inside of their Pawnee home when she throws him against the closed front door. Her lips are slightly chapped, and she tastes like a mixture of whipped cream and champagne.

“How long do you think Ann and Chris are going to have the kids?” she asks as she starts working on his tie and the buttons of his shirt.

“If we’re lucky, a few hours.”

She gives him an almost feral grin. “Perfect.”

She finally undoes the final button and pulls the shirt off of him, tossing it somewhere across the room before attaching her lips to his neck.

He tries to do the same for her, but she slaps his hands away before they can touch her blazer.

“Nope,” she shakes her head, “this is about you first. I want to say thank you properly.”

“There’s nothing you need to thank me for,” he manages to get out before he hisses as she touches him through his slacks.

“That’s where you’re wrong, Congressman,” she answers. “I have every reason to thank you.”

He tries to protest, but the words are caught in his throat when she slides his pants and underwear down his legs.

One thing about Leslie is that she’s a wordsmith. Her silver tongue can inspire even the most apathetic of people into action with her inspirational speeches. In fact, it was when she stood in front of a room filled with Pawnee’s most prominent business leaders sick with the flu and spoke so eloquently that he realized he could actually love her.

If only he knew then just what that mouth and tongue can do.

His fingers wrap around her blond tendrils as he struggles to not buck his hips too forcefully, losing more and more control as she sucks and licks in the way she perfected years ago.

“B-babe,” he pants in warning. She knows it means he won’t last long if she keeps going the way she is.

She smiles with him still in her mouth, the vibration from her giggle shooting through his cock pulling a groan from the deep recesses of his belly.

She doesn’t care. She knows what she wants, and she wants him to finish just like this–in her mouth with his back pressed firmly against their front door in their living room, stifling his groans out of habit rather than necessity.

And after she makes him come, after she licks him clean, she smiles up at him as he lovingly brushes hair away from her face. He says thank you with his eyes because he can’t quite form words yet.

But she shakes her head, not wanting to accept it. She stands up and brushes her lips against his, taking his hands to lead him upstairs.

“You know what?” he says as they walk towards their room. “In a few months, our Congressman/Governor role-play won’t be pretend anymore.”

She whips around and gives him a wet, sloppy kiss before pushing him down on the mattress.

“That is so hot,” she tells him as she straddles his hips. “But I think we should definitely practice, don’t you think, Congressman?”

“I do, Governor Knope. I really do.”


	24. Leslie Perkins-Traeger

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Based on the prompt: A fic where Leslie finds out beautiful noble land mermaid Ann Perkins has named her daughter after her

After dozens of phone updates, connecting flights from D.C., and huge hugs to Chris and Oliver, Leslie takes a gentle seat on her best friend’s hospital bed, a pink, sleeping newborn in her arms.

“Oh, Ann, she’s absolutely gorgeous. I mean, she’s basically a perfect genetic specimen considering who her parents are, but still. She’s amazing and you’re amazing and your whole family is wonderful and perfect. I am so happy for you.”

She leans over and rests her head on Ann’s shoulder with a contented sigh.

“Thank you” Ann says back softly, love and fatigue equally present on her face.

“Have you and Chris agreed on a name yet?”

“We have, actually. It was a pretty easy decision.”

“Tell me! Don’t keep me in suspense.” 

“First, I just want to tell you how much you mean to us–all of us. You’ve been the best friend we could have ever asked for, and the best godmother to our children. You taught me how to stand up for myself and helped me become a better person, and I wouldn’t be where I am today if it wasn’t for you. So, we wanted to give our daughter a name that has come to mean friendship, hard work, and love for everyone around her.” Ann presses a soft kiss to her baby’s brow. “Leslie Perkins-Traeger, this is your Aunt Leslie, one of the greatest and strongest women that I have ever known.”

Leslie chokes back a loud sob, mindful to not wake her namesake, but tears are starting to flow freely down her face.

“Ann, that-that is the most beautiful thing anyone has ever said to me. And I can’t tell you how honored I am. I just-I don’t even know what to say or do other than cry and shower you with compliments. This is one of the greatest moments of my life. Thank you.”

“No, thank  _you_. I meant everything that I said from the bottom of my heart.”

“I know you did because you’re the greatest, most wonderful and beautiful human being on the planet.” Leslie gently passes the child back to her mother. “I’ll be right back. I’m gonna go call Ben and the kids and then lock myself in a bathroom so that I can loudly cry accordingly.”

She gets up and presses a gently kiss to the baby’s cheek. 

“Goodbye, little Leslie. I’m so happy that you’re here, and I can’t wait to watch you grow up.”


	25. Like A Normal Couple

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fic Prompt: After secret dating, dating intertwined with Leslie's campaign, long distance dating and an engagement, Ben and Leslie finally get to have dinner and a date like a normal, engaged couple around Christmas 2012.

Leslie and Ben sip wine at the french restaurant, making eye contact over the rims of their glasses and sharing shy smiles.

He reaches out and takes Leslie’s hand, gently stroking the shiny, metal band on her left ring finger. “I still can’t get over seeing that.”

She glances down at their joined hands. “I can’t either. Sometimes, I’ll forget I’m wearing it and then see the the light reflect on it and I get butterflies in my stomach all over again. I mean, we’re getting married!”

He chuckles at his fiancée’s enthusiasm, wondering for the millionth time how he could possibly be so lucky. How this amazing woman agreed to spend the rest of her life with him. 

“Are you sure you wanted to have our “normal couple” date here?” Ben asks once the server takes their order. “I thought you might want to try a new restaurant, instead.”

Leslie shrugs but smiles happily. “I like this place, and to be fair, the only other time we came here, my ex-boyfriend handcuffed you to a urinal. There might be some, uh, bad memories associated here, and I wanted to make some new ones.”

Ben shivers at the memory of going head-to-head with Leslie’s police officer ex, but is at least grateful it didn’t end as poorly as it began. 

“Yeah, that was an interesting evening.”

“We’ve had a lot of ‘interesting evenings’ over the last year or so. That’s why I wanted to do something like this. We don’t have to worry about being caught, or think about campaign strategies, or try to survive an engagement party with your parents. We’re not having to set aside times to Skype while we’re on opposite sides of the country. We’re finally just here, together, without anything else between us. So after we eat a delicious, fancy dinner, we’re gonna go home together, do some planning for our wedding, and then have awesome, engaged-couple sex.”

Ben nods appreciatively as he tries to suppress a laugh. “I can definitely get on board with that plan.”  

“Good, because we’re going to have to finalize the wedding invitations before I let you go down on me.”

Ben chokes on his wine and coughs harshly into a napkin, glancing over to see Leslie’s amused smirk. “You waited until I was drinking to say that, didn’t you?”

“Yes,” she giggles shakes her head, “but that doesn’t make it any less true. We really need to choose those invitations, and I figure that we’ll knock that out a lot sooner if we have some incentives.”

Ben gives her his best smoldering look, running his finger over the length of her exposed arm in a feather light touch that leaves goosebumps in its wake. He tilts his head so close to her that he can smell the faint traces of her perfume, and his lips dance dangerously next to her ear.

“When we get home,” he says, his voice dropping to a raspy whisper, “we’re going to sit down on  _our_ bed and choose the invitations that will let everyone know that I’m going to make you my wife. After we’re done with that, I’m gonna go down on you for so long, you’ll be dripping and writhing and begging for me to let you come. Do you have any idea how amazing you taste, Leslie? Do you know what even the  _thought_  of eating you out does to me? How pink and full and wet you are? I could bury my face in you for hours and it still wouldn’t be enough.”

He looks down and smirks when he sees Leslie gripping the tablecloth, her chest heaving as her breathing speeds up. She uncrosses and recrosses her legs in an attempt to relieve the building pressure between her legs.

Ben’s devilish grin turns into a polite smile as the server makes his way over to their table, food in hand. He quickly pecks Leslie’s cheek and pulls away as if he hadn’t spent the last several minutes describing to his fiancée, in detail, the things he planned to do her that night.    

“Is there anything else I can get you?” the server asks after setting down their plates.

Ben flashes his teeth and shakes his head. “No, I think we’re good for now. Thanks.”

“Uhm, actually,” Leslie says in a choked voice before clearing her throat, “Can we have these to go. An emergency just came up and we have to leave. Immediately.”

The server quickly nods and scurries away to get their containers while Leslie takes another large gulp of wine in an attempt to calm herself.

“Are you sure you don’t want to just eat dinner here?”

She shoots him a dirty look. “After that? Hell no. We’re going home  _now_.”

Ben hastily pays the check as Leslie grabs the bags containing their food and practically runs to the car. “I swear to god, Ben, if we aren’t home in five minutes, you might as well pull off onto the side of the road.”

“What about the invitations?”

“Screw the invitations. This is so much more important.”


	26. As You Wish

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How do you apologize to your wife after committing the worst of atrocities: putting vegetables into your wife's waffles.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> On the radio, I heard about a study done that says that couples who have cutesy nicknames/do the baby talk thing to each other are shown to have more affectionate, stronger relationships, and can also help in alleviating fights. So, I came up with this, and I hope it is sickeningly fluffy enough for you. Set post “Children, attack your father.”

 

Leslie sits propped up against the headboard with a binder on her lap. Her eyes skim over the words on the page, but nothing is registering. 

She honestly has never been so angry at her husband in their entire relationship. Never has she felt more betrayed, more used and manipulated. She trusted him, promised to be eternally joined with him in the holy bonds of matrimony, and this is what he does.

He defiles the sanctity of her waffles.

She can hear Ben shuffling in and out of the boys’ room, fetching Stephen another glass of water, and she seethes even more. Dinner was an icy affair as Leslie shot dirty looks at him across the table. The triplet attack wasn’t nearly as brutal as she had hoped, and it soon turned into a giant tickle fight that had all four of them laughing in delight.

But, save for the few looks of panic, Ben acted as though everything was normal and he hadn’t committed the most egregious of sins. They might use this kind of trickery on their children, but she was his  _wife_.

“I swear that kid is part camel with the way he drinks water,” Ben says as he walks into the bedroom. His pajama bottoms are slung low on his hips and his t-shirt is perfectly stretched across his torso. He’s wearing the soft smile of a man in love with his children, and if Leslie wasn’t so pissed, she’d jump his bones right there.

But instead, she huffs and continues pretending to read.

Ben sighs and crawls onto bed, resting on his knees beside her. “Don’t tell me you’re still mad.”

“Fine, I won’t tell you.”

“Baaaaabe,” he whines.

“You can ‘babe’ me all you want. That won’t change the fact that I am so pissed at you right now I can barely look at you.”

“I don’t see what the big deal is. You never noticed, and they were healthier for you.”

“I don’t care.”

“But, Leslie,” he says softly and leans in to kiss her neck, “I only did it because I love you.” Another kiss. “But I am sorry that I lied to you.”

She shifts uncomfortably because his mouth on her neck just feels so good, but she won’t give in. “Apology not accepted.”

“Sweetie pumpkin.” He draws a circle on her skin with his tongue. “My sugar pie, honey bunch, whipped cream truffle, poodle-face.” Three more kisses.

“I said no.” 

It wasn’t a very strong no.

He continues to nuzzle her neck, and now begins talking to her in the silly, baby voice he perfected when the triplets were infants. “But, sugar plum, I said I was sowwy. Can you forgive me? Pweeeeease?”

She doesn’t trust her voice, so she stays silent.

“What if I told you that I would neeeeeever do it again, and I’ll go out and get you untainted waffles from J.J’s eeevvvery day this week.”  He starts nipping lightly, and she has to suppress a groan. “And I’ll get extra whipped cream, and that thick, sugary maple syrup you like.” 

No response. 

“Pweeeeeease, baby?”

“Dammit, Ben, talk like an adult.”

She feels him chuckle into her hair. “But I don’t wanna. “I wuv you so so so so so so much.”

“Then you shouldn’t have lied to me.”

“You’re right, I shouldn’t have, but it was for you own good, just like with the kids. But if you don’t want me doing it anymore, I won’t.”

She just shrugs and turns her head to the side, inadvertently giving him better access to her neck.

“Don’t underestimate me. I can do this alllllll night, pookie. So, what do you say, shnookums? Are you gonna turn that pwetty wittle head of yours this way and gimme a biiiig kiss?” 

With every annoying nickname and kiss to her neck, she feels her resolve crumbling. She wants to make him suffer, boy does she want to make him suffer, but she can’t stay mad at him. Not for this.

“You’re gonna make me pull out the big guns, aren’t ya?” he says when she doesn’t answer immediately. “Fine,” he sighs. “Pwease, pwease, pretty pwease…Buttercup?”

Damn him. Damn him to hell. He knows that will get her every single time.  

“Ugh, why did you have to go and do that?”

He smiles and gently bites her ear. “Because I knew I was in too deep and that’s the only way to save myself.” He rests his head on her shoulder and looks up at her. “Did it work? Do you forgive me now?”

“Do you agree that this was a violation of trust and promise to never do it again?”

“I promise.” He draws an ‘x’ over his chest.”Cross my heart, hope to die, stick a needle in my eye.”

“Okay, good. I mean, they’re trying to put kale into my milkshakes and here you were putting vegetables into my waffles!”

“But to be fair, I did a great job because you couldn’t even tell.”

“Yeah, well,” she grumbles, “that’s besides the point.”   

“As long as you forgive me, I’m happy. Of course, I’d be happier if you ingested a vegetable every now and then, but we can talk about that later.” He wraps his arms around her middle and squeezes before saying in a terrible, British accent, “All that matters now is that my Lady Buttercup has forgiven me.”

“You’re such a nerd,” she giggles.

“Hey, I’m out of practice. It’s been a while since we’ve done any Princess Bride roleplay.”

“Well, to be fair, he shares the same name as our son, so that was a little weird.”

Ben laughs and moves to cover her with his body, his kisses spreading from her neck down to her collarbone and up to her face. “Ah, yes, but my love, I am not Westley. I am the Dread Pirate Roberts.”

He slides his hand up her shirt, and Leslie sits up to quickly remove the offending garment. 

“Well, sir, you have a lot to atone for. I suggest that you begin making your amends,” she says as she begins pushing his head closer and closer to the juncture of her thighs.

He hooks his fingers beneath the waistband of her panties and grins.

“As you wish.”


	27. The Aftermath of Betrayal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fic prompt- Leslie taking care of Ben when the calzones betrayed him

“Ben, you’ll never guess what crazy thing Ann is trying to–whoa.” Leslie walks into their bathroom and stops dead in her tracks as she finds her fiance face down on the floor in front of the toilet. “Oh my God,” she runs over to him. “Are you okay? What happened? Do I need to call an ambulance?” 

“The calzones,” he mumbles into the cool tile. “They turned on me. It was the calzones.” 

“Oh, no, you’re spouting nonsense. Is this a stroke? Raise your arms.”

“I-I can’t,” he whimpers.

“Oh my God, it is a stroke. I need to call an ambulance and Ann and-”

“Leslie,” he croaks, “it’s not a stroke.”

“Are you sure,” she says, panicked, “because there are signs and-”

“I’m positive.” He hiccups and he turns a mild shade of green. “It’s food poisoning.”

“Oh, thank God. I mean, not that I’m happy you have food poisoning, but for about two minutes there I legitimately thought you were having a stroke, so this is better news.” She runs her hands through his sweaty hair and gently maneuvers his head onto her lap. “What happened? Do you know what got you sick?”

He grimaces miserably, as though the thought of it is too painful to repeat. “The guys, they were helping me out with finding a caterer. So we had them come in and prepare their food and…and-” He stops, and Leslie swears it looks like he has tears in his eyes. “And one had these perfect little savory pastries with sauce, meat, and cheese-”

“So, a calzone.”

“Call it what you will, but it did this to me.” He reaches out and grasps her hand, looking like a dying man about to make his final request. “It did this to me, Leslie, and I swear on everything that is good and holy, I will never touch another calzone for as long as I live.”

Her eyes almost bulge out of her head. “Okay, how much have you expelled from your body because you are clearly dehydrated and it’s made you irrational.”

“No.” He looks at her in earnest. “I mean it. I can never trust them again after this.”

“Oh , sweetheart, I know this must feel terrible, but it doesn’t mean you have to swear off all calzones forever. It was a fluke. I mean, I can’t tell you the number of times a bad batch of waffles has sent me running to the bathroom begging for death. Not from J.J’s though. His waffles are perfect, but a warning: not all back alley food trucks are as clean as they say they are. But anyway, bottom line is that once this passes, you won’t be able to wait until you sink your teeth into another warm, gooey, delicious, meat filled-”

“Oh God, stop talking about food,” he groans.

“Sorry. But, I know I’m right. One bad experience shouldn’t take away something you love. If anything, only trust the ones you make. I mean, it’d be terrible for your calzone making talent to go to waste, right?”

He nods as much as his aching body will allow. “You might be right, but I’m too sick to see any kind of reason right now.”

Leslie smiles sympathetically and presses a soft kiss to his brow. “Okay, understandable. How about I help you get to bed. You think it’s safe to leave the bathroom?”

“I don’t know what else could physically come out of me at this point except for my organs.”

It takes several minutes. Several agonizing, torturous minutes, but Leslie finally leads Ben to their bed, allowing him to collapse on it in a heap.

“Have you taken anything to help with the nausea and diarrhea?” she asks as she places a cool rag on his forehead. 

He gives another weak nod. “I drank every last drop of Pepto-Bismol and Alka-Seltzer in the house.”

“Alright, I’m gonna call around and see if anyone can run to the pharmacy so I can stay with you and make sure you stay hydrated. Maybe you can force down some dry toast and broth.” He gags. “Okay, right now it’s a no on that.” 

She runs and grabs the trashcan from the bathroom and puts it on his side of the bed. “Use this if you feel the need to throw up. And whenever you feel up to it, I’ll be right there next to you ready to cuddle the crap out of you. But until then, I’ll help you with anything you need. Okay?”

He gives her a dazed, crooked smile despite his overwhelming nausea. “You’re the best fiance in the world. What did I do to deserve you?”

She slides into bed next to him, careful to keep her distance and not overheat him. “You’re kind and thoughtful and adorable and perfect. You did your best to take care of me long before there was anything romantic between us. I love you, and when you love someone, you are there for them, in sickness and in health. Was that too cheesy? It’s a little cheesy, but it’s true. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, and that includes the moments like this.”

She runs a finger down his pale cheek. “I really want to kiss you right now but that would probably not be good and, no offense, but I can’t even imagine what your breath is like right now. But, God, when you’re feeling better, I’m gonna make out with you so hard.”

Ben quickly turns over the side of the bed and vomits. 


	28. Practice Makes Perfect

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Based on the prompt: Can I prompt a road trip first time au (or aftermath of first time), only the sex is horrible? But they STILL decide to go for it and be together?

They lie there awkwardly, side by side beneath the sheets staring silently at the ceiling.

“I’m…I’m so sorry. I don’t even-”

“No, uhm, no it’s fine.”

“No, it’s not,” he grunts in frustration. “It was the farthest thing from fine.”

“It wasn’t. It was…uhm, it was-”

“Terrible. It was terrible.”

“Okay, so it wasn’t perfect, but I wouldn’t say that it was terrible.”

“Well, you should because it was. Damn it, Leslie. I don’t know what happened. I mean, I guess it’s just been a long time for me and with the build up of everything, and I just…”

She shrugs. “It happens to everyone sometimes, I guess.”

“Yeah, when they’re teenagers, maybe, and don’t have the faintest idea of what they’re doing. I don’t mean to sound full of myself, but I’m actually, you know, really good…at this kind of…stuff.”

“I’m sure you are,” she reassures.

“No really, I am. Just ask–wait you really can’t ask my previous girlfriends. Or, at least you shouldn’t. I mean, that would be weird, and it’s not like they wrote letters of recommendation for me to give to future women I have sex with.”

“Right,” Leslie scoffs far too enthusiastically, “that’s totally not a thing.”

“You’ve actually done that before?”

“Maybe, but that’s really not relevant right now,” she answers quickly.

Ben groans and brings both of his hands to his face. “I can’t believe it. I can’t fucking believe it. After everything, I finally have the chance I’ve been wanting for months, and I blow it. I ruined everything.”

Leslie frowns and turns onto her side towards Ben, touching him for the first time since they broke apart to move his hands away from his face.

“Wait, do you think that just because we had some less than stellar sex, that means I won’t still want to be with you? Really?”

He shrugs helplessly and starts to panic. “I don’t know, Leslie. I really don’t know. I mean, why would you risk you’re career to be with a guy who has very little to offer you to begin with and also apparently sucks at sex?”

“Just stop it,” she tells him, and the anger in her voice startles him. “Just shut up. I like you, okay. I like you a lot. We have so much in common and you’re smart and funny and sweet and caring and genuine and I love being around you. Okay, so the first time we had sex, it kinda sucked, but who cares? We can work on it. I think we both had some first time nerves and it threw us off. But one round of bad sex isn’t going to make me stop liking you, especially when I know it’s not because you’re lazy or selfish. Plus, with the way you make out, I know you must be a genius with that tongue.”

He actually cracks a smile, but it soon fades. “But what if-”

“We’ll work through it. Not every couple is perfect together on the first try. We can work on it. It’ll be fun.” She leans forward and presses her lips to his. “I just know that all this time spent wishing we could be together isn’t going to be wasted because of one bad night.”

He looks at her and shakes his head in astonishment. “How are you so amazing?”

“I just am. You should be used to it by now. And in the future, you better watch what you say about yourself. That’s my boyfriend you’re talking about.”

He smiles. Really, truly smiles. “Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, in that case–” He turns, and Leslie squeaks when she gets pushed onto her back as Ben hovers over her. “I think we better start working, don’t you?”

“Yes, definitely. You know what they say–practice makes perfect.”


	29. How They Do It In Westeros

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Can you do a fic with Ben after the iron throne thing and he tries to roleplay with Leslie but it maybe doesn't go as planned??

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I honestly know nothing about GoT....

“Babe, close and lock the door.”

Leslie raises her eyebrows and gives him an incredulous look. “Are you serious? Wait, with me inside the room this time, right?”

He nods, his eyes raking over her like he’s a starving man and she’s his next meal. “I have about a dozen different fantasies revolving around this throne, and I think I’ll explode if I don’t get to act out at least one of them.”

She still eyes him suspiciously but locks the door. “You realize, again, that I have no idea about anything surrounding this show.”

“I don’t even care. You got me an Iron Throne and I am so turned on right now, it doesn’t matter. We can just role play something medieval, whatever, again, doesn’t matter. I just want you so much.”   

Honestly, Leslie really doesn’t get it it, but she knows Ben, and the way he is looking at her right now is starting to get her hot and bothered no matter how strange she finds this. After all, he’s indulged more than one of her own fantasies. So, she takes a deep breath and stands up straight, walking over to him as regally as possible before bowing.

“Then I am at your service, My Liege,” she says and grimaces at her poor attempt at an English accent.

But he doesn’t seem to care how bad her accent is, his low moan of “fuck” sending a shiver down her spine. “Stand up,” he says authoritatively. “A woman as lovely and powerful as you bows before no man.”

She raises her head and stands, and she can see Ben squirming in his seat.

“Come closer.” She is inches away from him, and he reaches up to run the back of his hand gently down her cheek. “My, but you are beautiful, aren’t you? The tales of your radiance do you no justice. I hope the same goes for your fiery spirit.”

“I will do my best to please you, Sire.”

He bites his lip and grabs her hand, pulling her onto his lap.

Or at least he  _tries_  to pull her onto his lap. The seat is to narrow and she hisses when the hilt of one of the swords bashes her hip. She rubs the sore bone and tries to find the best way to straddle him. She lifts one leg up and holds it while looking to find a place to put it before switching to the other one to no avail. 

“Shit,” he cries when tries to make room for her and jams his elbow into the armrest, any trace of an accent long gone. “Okay, uh, try climbing a little on me and then kinda sliding down onto my lap.”

She puts her knees on his thighs and he hisses when she looses her balance and collapses onto him, his head now level with her chest, the reality of the situation nowhere near as sexy as it sounds.

She tries to wiggle down his body, but the both cry out when their heads collide. “Okay, uhm let me see if I can shift around a little bit,” his voice is muffled by the hand he has covering his throbbing nose. He tries to move under her and jerks when his butt hits a particularly pointy part of the seat.  “This isn’t gonna work.”

“No, definitely not. I’m gonna try to climb off.” 

She shifts her leg but stops when he roughly grabs her hips. “Babe, if you ever want to have kids, I would strongly advise you to put your knee down somewhere else.”

“Oops, sorry.” She bites her lip and looks around for a place to set her leg, but there’s no room left on the seat and her feet don’t reach the floor. “Okay, I have no idea how to get down. I’m stuck.” Her voice raises an octave as she starts to panic. “I’m stuck, Ben. We’re gonna have to call for help. Call the fire department. Oh, God, they’re gonna storm in here and find me straddling your lap in an iron throne. I’ll never be able to show my face in City Hall again.”

“Honey, calm down. We’ll get you down, it’s fine. What if I just hold onto you and you sort of just…roll over the side.”

“Are you serious right now? I’m not doing that.”

“Okay, uhm, oh my God, I got it.” He snaps his fingers and points at her. “Put your arms around my neck and hold on tight. I’m gonna grab you around the waist and try to stand up and set you down.”

She takes a deep breath and nods, grabbing onto his neck and shoulders. “Go for it.”

“Will it count as foreplay if I grab onto your ass instead since it’ll give me better leverage?”

“Not even close, Wyatt.”

He leans back to give himself some momentum then lunges forward with a loud, strained grunt, but doesn’t manage to keep his balance before falling back down onto the throne.

“Okay, I know you aren’t doing it on purpose, but you are giving me some serious self-esteem blows right now.”

“No,” he shakes his head, slightly out of breath. “It’s not you, I’m just really weak. Also, do you know how hard it is to stand up like this with another human in your lap? But it’s okay, I got it next time. I just had some balance issues. Alright, one, two, three.”

He leans back and lunges forward again, this time managing to stand up. Leslie quickly lets go to save them both from toppling over.

“Woohoo!” Ben cheers and the two share a high five. “We did it.” Once his smile fades he turns around and studies the throne. “Okay, so that didn’t work. What if we switch and you sit down and we work with that?”

“If you plan on doing anything worthwhile to me, my pants would have to be off, and there no way I am sitting on that cold, pointed chair made of fake swords with no pants. I really hate to ruin this fantasy for you, but I don’t think what you’re imagining is physically possible.”

He runs a hand over his forehead and looks distressed. “What if I just kind of, bend you over it and-”

“And I get fifty swords poking me in the eyes and face and boobs and just about every other part of my body? Not gonna happen.” 

He looks back and forth between Leslie and the throne, torn, before he finally grunts in frustration. “You know what? Screw it. Let’s just go home so I can properly fuck your brains out for giving me the greatest present in the history of the universe.”

“Oh, thank God,” Leslie sighs and kisses him. She looks back over her shoulder as she walks towards to the door and sees Ben looking longingly at his gift. “Do you want a little more time with it?”

His head snaps to look at her. “Just like five more minutes.”

She smiles and gives him another quick kiss. “Take your time. I’ll swing by my office and meet you at the car.”

He barely nods in acknowledgment before going back over to run his hands over the throne.

And yeah, maybe it’ll take more than five minutes before he’s ready to part with his present, but that’s okay. Leslie, once again, bought Ben the greatest gift in the world and got him to make his surprise face.

Who knows, maybe he’ll make it again tonight when Leslie puts on his other anniversary gift.


	30. Constants

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There is always her

In life, there are always constants, always things that stay the same no matter how much everything changes around them

And they are no strangers to change.

But it’s in those times of great change that Ben most relies on these constants, and his greatest constants all revolve around her.

When he first moved to Pawnee officially and it felt like his entire life was starting over, he could count on the soft smile that Leslie would give him every morning in the hall, and he knew everything would be okay.

During the worst months of his life, when he had to relearn how to sleep alone, when he had to live with the constant ache in his heart that was almost too much to bear, he saw every day how hard she was working and how much she deserved to follow her dream. Her commitment never wavered, and he knew that he had no choice but to do everything in his power to help her.

And whenever it came down to Leslie or his job, the choices were never more obvious.

The first time he faced this decision, he realized he couldn’t live without her; the second time, armed with nothing more than a ring, he made sure he never had to. And at each instance, she was there to support him–through misguided claymation attempts and board game developments, she was there.

Then she gave him three new, beautiful constants, three more reasons to get out of bed everyday. Their smiles are brighter than any sun, his love for them extending to the ends of the universe.

And in the end, after all of the ups and downs that are thrown at him fade away, there is still always her.


	31. Chapter 31

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fic prompt: After the 2025 Parks reunion, Leslie and Ben walk around City Hall, wind up in the same room they hashed over the budget in 15 years earlier, and get even more nostalgic over what's happened since - Leslie in particular after Ben's latest gifts to her. Bonus for Leslie getting overwhelmed and thankful enough to try and give Ben an Ann like nickname.

Linked arm and arm, Ben and Leslie walk down the still familiar hallways of City Hall. 

Leslie sighs and rests her head on Ben’s shoulder. “I don’t care how many years have passed since we worked here. It’ll always feel like home.”

“We’ve been gone longer than I even worked here, but I feel the same way.”

Leslie catches sight of a door at the end of the hall, and she pulls on Ben’s hand.

“Do you know what this is?” Leslie asks as she walks into the conference room and looks around in awe.

“A conference room?”

Leslie rolls her eyes and lightly pinches his arm. “Duh, but do you know why  _this_  particular conference room is so special?”

Ben frowns and looks around again before his eyes go wide. “Wait, is this…”

“This is the conference room where we had most of the budget meetings when you came to Pawnee. Remember when I first came in here after Ron made me an essential employee? God, we got into so many heated arguments in this room. If someone had told me then that I’d wind up falling in love with that cute, fascist hardass, I’d tell them they were delusional.”

“Nah, not me. I always knew it would happen.”

Leslie looks over at him and laughs. “Liar.”

“Okay, so maybe not that we’d end up married with triplets, but I definitely had a thing for you by this point.”

“Why do I feel like this is something that should have come up in the last several years?”

“I don’t know,” he shrugs. “Probably because it wasn’t anything real or concrete yet. You both infuriated and intrigued me and it led to some very confusing feelings…and dreams.”

Leslie walks up next to him and nudges his shoulder. “Aww, babe, you had sex dreams about me.”

“Did I ever, and they were the worst–not because the idea of having sex with you was terrible to me, but because of the exact opposite. I was not only having crazy dreams about someone whose budget I was slashing to ribbons and hated me, but I liked them. Like,  _really_  liked them.”

“If it makes you feel any better, I totally had a sex dream about you like a week after you got here.”

Ben’s jaw drops. “You didn’t.”

“Yup,” she nods her head. “Sure did. I think that’s why I lashed out even more after that. I just remember thinking ‘how dare this guy invade my dreams like that with his stupid face and cute butt’. But that was the only one until right around the Harvest Festival.”

Ben wraps his arm around Leslie’s shoulder and pulls her to his side. “Wow, look at us. Fifteen years later and we’re still learning new things.”

“God, it’s really been that long, hasn’t it?”

“Yup. The gray hair and the aching muscles confirm it.”

“Hey,” she reaches up and grabs at the tiny hairs on his nape. “I love your hair. It makes you look very distinguished. And you’re still pretty spry for an old man.”

He waggles his eyebrows. “Yeah?”

“Yes, you perv,” she giggles before pulling him into a tight hug. “So much has happened since then. So many amazing things, and none of them would have happened if it wasn’t for you.”

“Yes it would have,” he says into her hair. “You would have accomplished everything you ever wanted with or without me.”

“Okay, yeah, I probably would have, but it wouldn’t have been the same. Going through all of this with you made it a million times better.”

“Well, I can say the same about you. When I met you, I was a lonely, antisocial, impeached former mayor that went around slashing budgets. Now I’m a husband, a father, and a congressman. I  _know_  I wouldn’t have come this far without someone like you helping me along the way. And pretty soon, I’ll be the First Gentleman of Indiana. What more can a guy ask for?”

She laughs into his shirt and lifts up her head to look at him. “I agree, you have a pretty sweet situation going on here, but I haven’t even declared my candidacy yet. It might be a little too soon to celebrate my win.”

“Nah, you’ve got this in the bag. How many other candidates can say that their five-year-old selves wrote about this in their dream journals?”

“I’m hoping only the ones that have amazingly selfless husbands/campaign managers.” She reaches up and cups his cheek. “Seriously, you’re the greatest. I still can’t believe you did that for me.”

He leans over and kisses her. “Of course I did that for you. I meant what I said. It just makes sense. I still love what I do, and this is the natural next step for you.”

“And then to top it all off, you bring all of our friends together back in the Parks office? Seriously, how are you even real? I mean,  _Ann’s here_! We’re all together with our families now and it’s just so wonderful and beautiful and amazing and-” She stops to hold back her tears. 

“Happy tears, right?” Ben asks with a small smile.

She nods. “Yeah, very, very happy tears.”

“Good. I can handle happy tears.” 

“You’re just so great, I don’t even know what to say. You’re like a dazzling, effulgent tree frog.”

He pulls away from her and narrows his eyes in confusion. “D-did you just try to give me an Ann nickname?”

“Huh, yeah, I guess I did. I was just giving Chris a new list and I must still be on a roll. What do you think?”

“I… I honestly don’t know.” He quickly glances down at his watch. “And as much as I would love to continue on the topic, I think it’s time we went back to everyone else.”

Leslie grabs onto Ben’s hand and takes another look around the conference room, the picture of their first meeting here flashing once again in her mind’s eye.

“I know,” Leslie says as Ben leads her down the hall. “How about ‘Ben, you compassionate, nurturing, majestic seahorse’. Oh, or ‘Ben, you lithe and graceful Greek God.”

“Oh, I like that one.”

“Yeah, me too.”


	32. The Phone Call

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Can you write something about Leslie calling Ann and telling her that she's pregnant?

Leslie takes a deep breath, unsuccessfully suppressing a smile as she presses the first contact on her speed dial. 

“Leslie?” Ann’s beautiful, melodic voice drifts through the receiver. “Oh, my God, how are you? I feel like we haven’t talked in forever.”

“Hi, Ann. Well, it has been nearly three days since we last spoke, so I think that’s a new record.”

“Ugh, no wonder it felt like an eternity.”

“So, uhm, how are you and Chris and the baby?”

“We’re all good. Chris is still enjoying his new job, and Oliver is growing like a weed. What about you? You sound very happy. I can practically see your smile right now. What’s up?”

“Oh, Ann, you magnificently perceptive bottlenose dolphin. I have the most wonderful, amazing news that there ever was.”

“Don’t keep me in suspense. Tell me!” 

“Ann, Ben and I are having a baby. I’m pregnant.” The line goes silent and Leslie fears the call was dropped. “Ann? Are you still there?”

A few more seconds pass before an excited shriek resounds in Leslie’s ear. “Oh my God this is the greatest news in the entire world! I’m so happy for you. I don’t even know what else to say I’m so excited and happy. Tell me everything–Okay, not  _everything_ , but when did you find out? Do you know when you’re due? Have you started taking your prenatal vitamins?”

Leslie relishes in her best friend’s enthusiasm. “I found out this morning and only told Ben about 20 minutes ago.”

“Oh…is this phone call keeping you from some awesome celebratory sex?”

“Yeah, a little, but it doesn’t matter. Ben and I agreed to keep it a secret from everyone until we have our appointment with the OBGYN, but I had to tell you. And to answer your other question, I honestly have no idea how far along I am. Life has been so crazy lately with the merger and this Unity Concert, and you know how my cycle is irregular anyway-”

“Cuz you don’t sleep and eat too much sugar-”

“But yeah, no clue. We’ll find that out soon enough. Oh, Ann, our babies are going to be so close in age and they’ll grow up together and be best friends and maybe get married.”

“Okay,” Ann chuckles, “let’s not jump ahead of ourselves here. But I just can’t believe it! I’m so happy for the two of you. Seriously, being a parent is so amazing.” Leslie hears some noise in the background. “Oh, Chris just came home. Can I tell him, or did you want to wait.”

“Uhm, no it’s fine. As long as he promises not to spill the beans to anyone here in Pawnee.”

“Chris!” Ann calls over her shoulder. “I’m on the phone with Leslie-”

His voice sounds far away. “Hello, Leslie Knope!”  

“And guess what?”

“Oh, I don’t know! There are so many possibilities as to what I could guess, and the probability of being right on the first try-”

Ann cuts him off, “Leslie and Ben are having a baby. She just found out this morning.”

“Oh, my goodness, Leslie Knope! This is perhaps the greatest news that I have heard since…well since I found out that  _I_  was going to be a father. I…” Chris’ voice starts to waver and he sniffs loudly. “I am so happy that two of my best and most wonderful friends are bringing a new child into this world. It’s just…excuse me.” 

Leslie hears the sound of him running away followed by loud sobbing.

“Don’t worry,” Ann says. “Those are happy tears.”

“Ben and I are very familiar with those.”

Ann sighs. “Leslie, I really can’t tell you how excited and happy I am for you. I love both of you so much. You’ll make such great parents.”

“Thank you. It’s probably one of the scariest things to ever happen to me, but I’m also so excited. I can’t wait.”

“Neither can I. Now, we can talk more later, but I know for a fact that your husband is just waiting to celebrate this with you even more, so I’ll let you go. Give my congratulations to Ben. I love you, Leslie. And I love you, baby Leslie.”

“We love you too, Ann. So, so much.”

* * *

 

One Week Later

“Hi, you’ve reached Ann Perkins. I can’t come to the phone right now, but leave a message at the tone.”

“Ann? Ann, it’s Leslie, Leslie Knope. Your best friend from Pawnee. I know you’re at work right now, but this couldn’t wait. Ann, it’s three. Triplets. We’re having triplets. We knocked it out of the park on the first try. Three babies, can you believe it?! Wait, the doctor said to not get too excited so I’d better calm down. Anyway, call me! I love you.”


	33. License and Registration

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Could you please write a fic where Ben gets pulled over by a cop (for speeding, for talking on his phone while driving, whatever) while at least one of the triplets is in the car with him?

Ben thinks his day can’t possibly get any worse–that is until he sees the flashing lights and hears the siren.

He was going too fast. He  _knew_  he was going too fast, but it’s an emergency. At least, he hopes the officer sees going on a medicine run for your wife and two toddlers at home with the stomach flu an emergency.

And when Wesley starts crying from his car seat in the back, Ben just rests his head back and waits for death. 

Even though he knows it’s coming, Ben still jumps in his seat when the officer knocks on the window.

With a shaking hand and unsteady finger, he lowers the glass. When did he get so sweaty?!

“W-what seems t-to be the problem, officer?” His voice cracks and he clears his throat at least half a dozen times. Wesley lets out a particularly loud scream, and Ben tries to reach his hand back to sooth him.

It doesn’t work.

“Do you know how fast you were going there, sir?”

“Uh, yeah, no, I’m-I’m sorry. I got a wife and two other kids at home with a bad stomach bug. Puking and pooping and getting sick all over. I was on a drug store run and then this one started crying and wanted to get home-”

“So you felt that justified your speeding and putting other people on the road at risk?”

“What?! No, no no no, not at all. I was just, uhm I mean, I was just worried and not thinking-”

“So you were distracted as well?”

“Yeah-wait no, I mean I was paying attention just-”

The officer appears to have heard enough. “License, registration, and proof of insurance, please.”

Ben opens his glove box, his hands shaking even more than they were a second ago, Wesley still crying in the background.

The officer reads his license and looks back up at Ben.

“Huh, thought you looked familiar. You still with Leslie?”

Ben nods quickly, not trusting himself to speak.

“Yeah, nice lady. Dave was a good buddy of mine. You know Dave, right?”

Ben nods again, but this time can’t stop the word vomit. “Uh, yeah, he handcuffed me to a urinal once and tried to steal Leslie away from me. Oh, God, I probably shouldn’t have said that. He was nice! Well, except for that whole situation, but yeah. Please don’t take that out on me. I know you’re probably friends and all, but I got three kids now, man. I mean, I’ve seen  _The Wire._ I know what you guys can do with planting evidence and all that. Make it look like I was using my kid as a drug mule or something.” 

His eyes bulge. “Which I’m not. I don’t have any pot or drugs or weapons hidden in my son’s diaper or anything. I swear. Oh, God, please don’t arrest me in front of my son. That’ll scar him for life. And I can’t leave Leslie a single mom with three kids. They’re triplets. Do you know how hard it is to have three children all at the same time?! And how is she supposed to become president if her husband went to jail for being a drug dealer?”

Ben’s panting now, and the officer just looks at him with a blank expression.

“Yeah, I definitely remember you. I’ll be back.”

Wesley’s cries have at least turned to a low whimper as Ben grips the steering wheel. He’s done for. He knows it. The guy’s probably gonna arrest him and throw him in prison and then call Dave to come back. Leslie will be sad and vulnerable and Dave will offer to help and soon he’ll get divorce papers and never see his kids again and probably have to join a prison gang just to survive.

Ben was mentally going through a list of potential prison nicknames when the officer returns. 

“I’m gonna let you off with a warning this time. I have a feeling just sitting here and making you squirm is punishment enough. You get home to your wife and kids, but keep it  _under_  the speed limit. You got that.”

“Y-yes. Yes, definitely. Thank you. Thank you so much. I’m sorry I accused you of trying to plant evidence on me and brutally arrest me in front of my kid.”

The officer holds up his hand and Ben’s mouth snaps shut. “It’s fine. Just get out of here.”

The officer walks back to his car and Ben just sits there in relief. As the adrenaline wears off, all he can do is laugh. 

He looks back at Wesley. “Oh, that was a close one, eh Wes? That was real close. Let’s go home and give the medicine to Mommy and your brother and sister. Good thing you’re still doing okay, right buddy? No tummy bug for you.”

Ben starts the engine just as Wesley leans forward and vomits.


	34. 1 in 64 Million

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Ben and Leslie seriously debating the prospect of having another kid. Bonus points if Ben realizing they could possibly have another set of triples is what seals the deal for the answer being No

“Do you really not want another one?”

Ben looks over to her on the bed, a fine layer of sweat still glistening on their skin.

“Uhm, yeah I guess, but I just had one and it’ll take a while before I’m ready to go-”

She scrunches her face and shakes her head. “Not  _that_. A baby. Do you really not want another baby?” 

“Sweetheart,” Ben sighs and runs a hand down his face. Since that one throw away comment a few weeks ago the night before Donna’s wedding, the topic of kids hadn’t come up. Until now, that is. 

“Well, why not?”

He turns and settles an arm around her waist. “Honey, listen, I love you and I love our children more than anything in the world. They’re the greatest, most wonderful kids that we could have ever hoped for. But there’s three of them. Three. All toddlers that run around and destroy things and throw tantrums. And if we had another baby, I’d love it just as much, but babies are hard. And it’ll be even harder since we already have three. This is the first time we’ve been able to have more than a quickie without a kid-interruption in nearly two weeks. It’ll be worse with a baby. Plus, our jobs are crazy right now. Hell, I’m running to become a congressman and you just accepted a new job. Do you really think we could handle more kids?”

“It doesn’t have to be kids. Just one more.”

“That’s what we thought the first time. You heard Dr. Saperstein. We’re prime candidates for multiples.”

“Yeah, but what are the odds that it happens again?” she huffs with a pout.

“1 in 64 million. There is a 1 in 64 million chance. And I know that sounds high, but between the two of us, all we seem to do is beat the odds. And while that’s usually wonderful, I don’t think I’ll survive if that happens to us again.”

“I guess.” She doesn’t sound convinced. 

“Listen, babe, I know I sound unreasonable, but hear me out. You had a really rough time carrying the triplets. You were sick well into the second trimester, your blood pressure got to some dangerous levels, and you were on bed rest for the last few weeks before they had to induce you. The doctor said even if you got pregnant again with one, you’d be at higher risk. Between that and us having to move back and forth between Pawnee and D.C. soon, do you really want to add  _any_  more babies to the mix.”

“You’re right,” she says sadly, and the defeated look on her face is enough to break Ben’s heart.

He tucks his hand under her chin and tilts her head up to look at him. “Hey, what’s really going on? Why do you want another baby all of a sudden?”

She bites her lip and looks away. “It’s just, I know how difficult it was. I didn’t forget all of that, but the kids are growing up so fast. My babies aren’t babies anymore. And yeah, it  _was_  hard, but I still remember rocking them to sleep and feeling them kick in my belly and that baby smell. I guess I miss that.” A tear escapes her eye as she blinks. “But you’re right. Our lives are so busy right now between my new job at Interior and your campaign. It’d be insane to add a baby into the mix.”

Ben pulls her against his chest, his lips resting on the crown of her head. 

“I know you’re right,” she says after a pause, “but I’m still a little sad. Is that okay?”

“Yeah, that’s okay.”

“But you know, the odds are crazy, but if that  _would_  happen to anyone, it’d be us.”

He laughs and puckers his lips to kiss her forehead. “Right? That’s what I’m saying.”

She looks up at him and smiles. “Thank you for actually talking to me about this and not freaking out or anything. I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

And he does. He loves her and their kids so much it hurts sometimes. And while it’s already crazy and about to get crazier, although he had to buy an entire set of new ties and clean up countless messes and deal with more poop and barf than he ever thought possible, he wouldn’t trade this for anything in the world.

And who knows, maybe someday, when things settle down a bit, he and Leslie might change their minds.

A loud crash comes from the boys’ room followed by a round of giggles.

But then again, maybe they won’t…


	35. The Victory Speech

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fic/smut prompt: The night Ben is elected to Congress, he signals Leslie out in his victory speech, leaving Leslie struggling all night not to try and drag him to the nearest dark room until after the victory party is over -- yet its Ben who breaks and brings them over there first.

The throbbing between her legs isn’t all that surprising. Elections make her horny, it’s that simple. Add in her devastatingly handsome husband, multiply it by his landslide win, raise that to the power of ten, and you have the almost uncontainable desire coursing through her right now.

Her husband is a _congressman–_  a congressman who in his speech to their entire district credited her with being his inspiration. He dedicated all of this to her, and she is having a hard time controlling herself.

The victory party is in full swing, and like the good politician that he is, Ben is dutifully mingling with various supporters and media outlets. From her spot against the wall, she watches him like a huntress watches her prey, tracking his every move just waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike.

Right after the speech, the triplets joined them on the stage for a few photos for the press before Marlene took them for the evening. So as soon as this is all over, she’s going to be all over _him_.

A server walks by with a tray of champagne, and she quickly snags a glass. She ships from it slowly, seductively, knowing that at any moment Ben’s eyes will seek her out.

He always does that, no matter where they are or who he’s talking to, he can just sense where she is. True to form, as Ben moves from one person to another, his eyes flick up and find hers. 

No one else can see it, but she can. That subtle darkening of his eyes, the brief flaring of his nostrils, the twitch of his eyebrow, the quick swipe of his tongue across his lower lip.

She wants nothing more than to devour him, and he knows it.

She had done her best to try and pass the time, mingling with the various constituents, talking with a few reporters. Ann and Chris were able to make it down, but even spending time with her best friend did little to distract her.

In her mind, she runs through a list of possible ways to cut this short, to inconspicuously drag him away and have her way with him. She could pull the fire alarm, but that would cause too much panic. She thinks about possibly using the triplets as an excuse to pull him away, maybe even help his image as a dutiful father, but she feels a little guilty using her children like that. 

She’s on the verge of faking a death in the family just to get him away when he excuses himself from a group of people and walks over to her. It’s his turn to look at her like a predator, and she pushes herself flat against the dark corner of the wall in anticipation.

He puts his hand just next to her head, the other skimming lightly over her hip.

“Hey,” he smiles, his face impossibly close to hers, but still not close enough.

“Hi.”

“How are you holding up?”

“Good. You know me. I thrive on this kind of energy. But tonight’s not about me, _Congressman Wyatt_. How are you holding up?”

He smiles and she just can’t stop being so _happy_  for him. This is everything he’s ever wanted, and not even close to what he deserves. 

“I’m doing alright. Kind of hard to focus on answering questions when my wife is eye fucking me from across the room.”

She smirks. “My husband was just elected to the House of Representatives. You’re lucky I’m not _actually_ fucking you in full few of half of the district.”

He bites back a pathetic groan and pouts his lips. “That was mean, babydoll.” 

“You’re walking across the room in your tight little suit that makes you butt look even more amazing and your politician smile and great hair, and _I’m_  the one being mean?”

He just smiles and nods.

She reaches out and starts playing with his tie. “I’m so proud of you. I don’t think I got a chance to tell you that after your speech. But I am. We all are, but me most of all. You’ve earned this.”

Ben tucks a loose curl behind her ear before turning his head to look around the room. 

“What time is it?”

She looks down at her watch. “Just after 11:30. Why?”

He purses his lips and looks like he’s calculating something in his head. “Yeah, I think that’s long enough.”

“For what?”

“For mingling. We’re getting out of here.”

It’s what she’s wanted since about five minutes after he won, but she still argues. “But what about the party? There’s still a lot of people you haven’t talked to. What if people have more questions?”

“Jen can handle it. It’s what I pay her for.”

“Oh, thank God,” Leslie sighs. “I’ve been sitting here trying to think of ways to take you home so I could have my way with you. I almost killed off an imaginary Uncle of yours.”

“Well, I’m glad you didn’t. That would have been hard to explain to the press.”

“It’s fine because now I don’t have to. Just don’t be surprised if I can’t wait until we get home and I end up doing some dirty things to you in the car.”

“Oh, we’re not going home just yet.”

“Beeeeennnn,” she whines, “you said-”

“I know what I said. And we’re not going home.” He pulls out a key card from his pocket. “Your mom has the kids for the night, so I booked us a room upstairs. I figured neither one of us would be able to wait until we made it home.”

She doesn’t care who’s watching, she grabs Ben by his lapels and kisses him. “God, you are so smart. No wonder you got elected.”

He hands her the card with a smirk. “I was sneaky and packed you an overnight bag, too. It’s already in the room. Go upstairs and wait for me. I’ll be up as soon as I say my round of goodbyes. And before you say anything, yes, I did find that little thing you were hiding away to wear for me when I won. Call it presumptuous, but I packed it and can’t wait to rip it off of you.”

“America doesn’t deserve you.”

“I know.”

With one last wink, he saunters away, leaving Leslie hot, bothered, and very much unsatisfied. Thankfully, she knows it won’t be for long. She clutches the key card in her hand and practically runs from the room.

God does she love Election Day.


	36. A Resolution to Resolve

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How Ben and Leslie ring in 2012

“So, what are your resolutions for this year?” 

She was curled beside him in his bed, the clock on his nightstand flashing just after 1 on New Year’s Day. After the customary party with their friends, champagne toasts and kisses as the ball dropped at midnight, the pair had snuck away to Ben’s room to ring in the new year their own way. 

So far, 2012 was off to a great start.

“Hmm?” he answered, droopy-eyed with hair sticking in all directions. God, did that man have amazing sex hair.

“You know, what are your new year’s resolutions? What’s on your list? You have a list right?” 

His face finally registered recognition. “Oh, no. I never really do those. I mean, do people really care about that stuff anymore? Most people give up on them halfway through the first month anyway, so why bother.”

She looked at him like he had grown a second head. “Are you serious right now? How can you even say that?”

“Why? Do you have one?” He stopped and shook his head. “What am I saying, of course you have one.”

“Damn right I do.” She jumped out of his bed and didn’t even bother to put anything on as she rummaged through her bag, pulling out her list with a triumphant laugh.

“Okay,” she said as she settled back in next to him, “this is my list for 2012. It’s more of an outline really. Most of these will have their own subset of additional goals and ideas in their own binders.”

He stared at the list. “Yes, right. Just like most people.”

She gave him a look and pinched his arm, but he just grinned. “Not funny, Ben. Besides, this is only to give you an idea for your own list.”

“Leslie,” he groaned, flopping back onto his pillow. “I don’t want to make a list. They’re stupid. If I want to do something, I’ll just do it. I don’t need to make some all encompassing list at the beginning of the year that’s supposed to now accurately represent everything that needs to be done to feel accomplished.”

She wasn’t putting up with his nonsense. “We’re making a list. It doesn’t have to be as involved as mine. You’re a novice. I’ve been perfecting this for years. But here, read mine over just to get some ideas.”

He took the list with a sigh, but she knew she had him. “Okay, let me see this. Number one in big bold letters: Win Election. Okay, that’s a good one. Uhm, a few parks ones, spend more time with Ann–ooo ‘Set aside time to hardcore makeout with Ben several times a day if possible’. I like that one. ‘Learn to do a handstand in a pool’. Seriously?”

She shrugged sadly. “It’s on my list every year. One day, I _will_  have the satisfaction of crossing that off. But do you get the idea about what you might want on yours?”

He eyed her up and down. “You’re not going to let me sleep unless I do this, are you?”

She giggled and shook her head. “Nope.”

“Fine. But can I just say it out loud for now and write it all down later? I’m old and tired.”

She thought it over and figured it’d be the best she could do right now. “It’s better than nothing, I guess. Okay, shoot.”

He laid back down with his hands folded behind his head. “Okay, number one: do everything I can to make sure Leslie wins.”

“Aww,” she smiled and leaned over to give him a kiss. “That’s sweet.”

“Honestly, it’s what I want most. If nothing else, I want you to win. I mean, I hurt your campaign enough-”

“Hey,” she nudged him with her arm, “I thought we agreed no more talk like that.”

He ran his hand over his face and sighed. “Yeah, I know. But-”

She silenced him with a look. Satisfied he had dropped the subject, she asked about the next item on his list.

“Hmm, okay, number two.” He reached out and laced his fingers with Leslie’s. “Don’t be stupid and break up with Leslie again, even if I think it’s for her own good. And show her each and everyday just how much she means to me.”

God, how could he be so perfect. “I agree with that one wholeheartedly.”

He smiled and kissed her hand. “Thought you would. Uhm, number three: find a job. Preferably one that I’d enjoy.”

“Oh, that’s a good one. No offense, but I can’t have a deadbeat for a boyfriend. Wouldn’t look good for my campaign.” She flashed him a teasing grin  that soon turned to a yelp when he quickly rolled over and tickled her. “Okay, okay! I’m sorry,” she gasped between laughs. “I take it back.”

He turned over, taking her with him so she was now tucked under his arm. “Good. Alright, next one. Oh! You know, I kind of want to finally make that claymation video I’ve always talked about.”

She looked at him over her shoulder. “Seriously? Like, that’s something you actively want to do?”

“Hey! No making fun of my resolutions. This is my handstand in a pool. Something I’ve kind of always wanted to do, but never got to. I figure it’ll keep me busy while I’m looking for a job.”

Leslie wasn’t too convinced, but she still felt responsible for him no longer _having_  a job, so she wasn’t going to tell him how to spend his time off. “Well, if it’s something you really want, we’ll put it on your list.”

“Sweet. Oh, man, I’m so ready for this. I have to go get supplies and find my old camera, and-”

“Babe, I’m really glad that you’re excited, but you need to finish your list.”

Ben pouted, and she really wanted to suck that lower lip into her mouth, but restrained herself.

“Fine. But I really don’t know what else I’d want to add. Can what I have be enough?”

“I think that’s a pretty decent first list. We can always add more if you think of anything.”

Ben yawned and nuzzled his face into Leslie’s neck. “Good, because I’m really tired and want to go to bed.”

She gave him one last kiss before turning off the bedside lamp and snuggling into Ben’s waiting arms. She was filled with so much love in that moment, she thought her heart might burst.

To think that this time last year, she was all alone in her bed, pining after a man she thought she’d never get to be with, and now he was here with her, and she couldn’t ask for anything more.

“Oh,” his said in a low voice, “I thought of one more. Spend every New Year with you just like this for the rest of my life.”

She blinked back tears, and somewhere deep down, she just knew that would be the one resolution they’d both be able to keep.


	37. Leslie and Ben Fight the Future

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Leslie and Ben watch the X Files Fight the Future Movie

When Ben heard that The X Files was coming back, Leslie did her best to be supportive. Her husband was a media nerd, and she loved that about him, she really did. She listened as he freaked out over the return of Star Wars and went with him to see the midnight showing, smiled and nodded while he talked about the Twin Peaks reboot, and now it was the X Files’ turn.

He knew she was busy–between her long hours at work and three screaming one-year-olds at home, so he really only asked that they watch the movies together. She could do that. She figured she knew enough about the show from Ben to watch it without being confused.

It was pretty straightforward, right? Tall, good looking male agent believes in aliens and hunts them for the FBI and smart, red headed agent/medical doctor that Ben was madly in love with makes sure her partner doesn’t die and goes around blinding people with science.

Yeah, that sounds about right.

“Ok, so, babe,” he said as he popped in the disc, “Mulder and Scully just found out that the X Files have been closed and they have been reassigned. All they’re trying to do is uncover the conspiracy and hope that by proving it exists, they can convince the FBI to open the division back up.”

She snuggled under the blanket and nodded. “Okay, I think I got it.”

He skipped–yes skipped–back over to cuddle next to her on the couch and waited as the X flashed across the screen.

So far the movie was better than she thought. Some of it was a little gross–alien black oil that possess people’s bodies? What? And there were times that Ben said the lines out loud without even realizing it, but it was good. It definitely caught her attention. It had conspiracies and helicopters and cornfields and…Bees? 

“Wait, so after all of that, they’re going to reassign her?” she asked during the emotionally charged moment in Mulder’s apartment. 

“They want to, yeah.”

“UGH, well I for one hate that they make the government look that evil. When I’m president, if they tell me any of this weird stuff…” she trailed off. “Wait! She’s gonna quit? She can’t quit. She can’t leave Mulder.” She was yelling at the screen now. “Don’t just sit there Mulder! Go after her, you idiot and tell her you love her!” She slapped Ben repeatedly on the arm once he saw Mulder get up. “Oh God! He’s gonna do it, isn’t he! He’s gonna do it.”

She was fairly quiet throughout Mulder’s speech in the hallway, and she even had to sniff back a few tears. “She makes him a whole person…” she whispered to herself before pulling Ben’s arm around her.

She grabbed his hand when she saw that they were just about to kiss, and with each second that they moved closer and closer, Leslie’s nails dug into Ben’s skin.

“Ow, babe-”

“Shhh they’re about to kiss–WHAT THE FUCK!”

“Honey, calm down. You don’t want to wake up the babies.” He was amused, she could tell, but she was _pissed._

 _“_ How do you expect me to calm down?” she said in a harsh whisper. “Five years of sexual tension and it’s obvious they love each other and their only chance for a kiss is ruined by that damn bee! And now she’s being carted off to god only knows where and Mulder just got SHOT!? What the hell?!”

Ben finally managed to calm her down enough to sit relatively quietly through the rest of the film. She still jumped in her seat when the aliens starting chasing after them, and she snuggled even closer to Ben and shivered as though she was the one facing the Arctic cold.

When the screen faded to black, after Mulder and Scully walked away together with a new fierce determination, after the final shot of the letter saying the X Files was reopened, Leslie sat in stunned silence.

“Did you like it?” Ben asked, nudging her shoulder.

“Yeah…I did actually. But I’m kind of sad, too.”

“Why?”

She looked over at him and jumped into his lap for a tight hug.

“Because that could have been us.” At his raised eyebrow she sighed. “I mean not literally us going around hunting aliens and fighting global conspiracies, but I mean they refuse to admit how they feel about each other because of their jobs, right? That was us. We could have ended up like them. Madly in love with one another and miserable because we couldn’t be together because of how important our jobs were. We barely lasted a few months. They had to do it for five years.”

“It was actually closer to seven and even _then_  there was some ambiguity and it’s implied they were together for the second movie but that may not be the case for the revival, and-”

He stopped when he saw her confused look, but she just nodded. “Okay, uhm yeah! See that! All of those years. It just makes me sad, that’s all.” She rested her head on his shoulder. “I don’t like thinking about what might have happened if we let that happen to us.”

He smiled and kissed her forehead. “But it didn’t. We’re married and have great jobs and three amazing children.”

She smiled at that, because he was right. That _wasn’t_ what ended up happening to them.

“But yeah,” she said, pulling away and giving Ben a soft kiss. “I liked it. I might watch a few more episodes with you, actually, so I understand better what’s going on.”

He smiled that dopey, excited little smile, and she could already tell he was listing the ones he wanted to show her in his mind.

She kissed him again because she loved her sexy, nerdy husband. 

And for some reason, she had the uncontrollable urge to make out with him in a cornfield…


	38. Chapter 38

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fic prompt, post "Trial of Leslie Knope": When it sinks in that Ben would have had to resign in disgrace for being with Leslie no matter when it came out, Leslie wonders what would have happened if she'd told him about her City Council offer from the start and they discussed what to do together,

She’s still getting used to the feeling again. The feeling of being in his arms, of coming apart _because_  of Ben and not at the memory of him.

Her nerves tingle every time he lazily trances a finger on her skin, whenever his lips kiss her because he just can’t get enough of her either.

She loves post-orgasm Ben. He’s cuddly and smiley and tired, and he looks so cute fighting to keep his eyes open because he probably doesn’t want this moment to end any more than she does.

She loves his goofy smile, loves his tousled hair, his small waist and flat, sexy butt. 

She loves _him_ , and he loves her and it will be recorded in official Pawnee record until the end of time.

But as happy as she is, there’s a dull ache in her chest that even Ben can’t fix, because it’s about Ben, because Ben is here with her and he had to give up everything in order to do so.

And suddenly, it all comes too fast. All of the thoughts, all of the insecurities, everything that happened today tugs at her heart and puts it in a headlock.

She tried, she really did, to not break down because that was the last thing Ben wants. He assured her over and over again as his lips traveled her body that everything was okay. That he loved her and would do it all over again, but for some reason, that only makes it worse.

A sob makes it past her lips and she can’t hold it in anymore. She turns onto her other side and buries her face in the crook of Ben’s neck.

“Hey, shhh, it’s okay,” he says, running his hands up and down her back. His voice is so understanding and gentle, it only makes her cry harder. Here he is soothing her as though he wasn’t the one that just gave up everything for her.

“No, it’s not.”

“Yes, it is. I told you. I love you and I wanted to do this. I think we both knew deep down that one of us would have to, and it made sense that it would be me. I can get another job. Parks and this campaign mean more to you than being assistant city manager ever could to me.”

She wipes at her eyes and sniffs. “Maybe that’s part of it. I just can’t help but think that if this was going to happen anyway, why we messed everything up so badly the first time. I should have just told you that I was running to begin with instead of lying to you. Maybe we could have worked something out. Then we might not have had to break up and spared ourselves that hell.” She sighs again in frustration. “I don’t know. Maybe we could have have handled things differently and you could have just resigned instead of resigning in disgrace.”

He doesn’t speak for a little while, but the soft rubbing on her back keeps going. 

“I guess we won’t know,” he says eventually. “Leslie, it doesn’t do anyone any good to think back and beat yourself over the head about “what ifs”. Trust me. I did that for years when it came to Ice Town. The bottom line is we just don’t know the future so we do what we think is best at the time and learn from it.

“And who knows that if we had actually talked about it before we’d have made the same choices we made now. I don’t know if I would have been ready to give up my job for you then. I knew that I cared about you, maybe even loved you, but we were still so early in our relationship. I guess, deep down, maybe I was worried that I’d do you more harm than good. At the time, I thought I could let you go. I was wrong, so very, very wrong, but it was that time apart that made me realize how much you meant to me and that I’d give up anything to be with you.”

She pulls away just enough to look up at him. “So, what you’re saying is that even though everything that has happened has sucked major ass, maybe it needed to happen?”

He laughs her her choice of words, but nods. “Yeah, I guess I am. Looking back, I’d rather it didn’t, but who knows what would have happened otherwise? Maybe in the grand scheme of things this is what’s meant to be. Who’s to say that if we had kept sneaking around, it wouldn’t blow up in our faces and be even more damaging to your campaign and then you ended up resenting me or something and it ruined our relationship. Or we both would have gotten fired. Or the stress hiding our relationship and our jobs and the campaign was too much and everything fell apart.”

She just shrugs. “I guess you’re right. I just hate how it all came out.”

“I’m don’t. I still have Pawnee, I still have my friends, and I still have you. I can get a new job anywhere, but I’ll never find anything else even close to what I have here right now. And whatever backlash comes out of it, we’ll deal with it together.”

She blinks back more tears–happy ones this time, and gives him a soft, sweet kiss. “I’ve got the greatest, most wonderful boyfriend in the entire world that I don’t have to sneak around with anymore, and I love him very, very much.”

He winks. “Yeah?”

“Yeah,” she giggles with a nod of her head. “It’s on the record and everything. Our love is preserved for all eternity.”

He curls some hair behind her ear and smiles again. That same tender, sweet smile that says he still can’t believe this is real. That _they_  are real. She knows because she must be giving him the exact same look.

She snuggles into him again and presses her lips to his chest as they both drift off to sleep.

And when he whispers “I love you” just before she nods off, she knows she’ll never tire of hearing it for as long as she lives.


	39. Seventh Month Itch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Leslie getting super hormonal/angry because Ben got her pregnant WITH TRIPLETS and she can't do as much as she wants to anymore

Leslie was only seven month along but she felt _huge_.

Everyone kept telling her that it was to be expected, that of course her belly was so big. She had three babies in there, after all. The hormones, pain, and discomfort was totally normal.

She wanted to slap each and every one of their smiling faces anytime they dared to say anything like that to her. She wanted to have them trade places with her and have three little bodies pressed against almost every organ in their body and pee every thirty seconds and barely be able to walk without losing their balance and see if they’d still be smiling.

Yes, it was probably the hormones, but she really, really, _really_  hated being pregnant. She didn’t blame the babies. It wasn’t their fault. They’re just doing their thing not knowing that they were the reason their mom was a waddling, peeing, barf machine.

What was worse was that she could hardly do anything to distract herself. She wished she was in D.C. with April right now giving their presentation, but no. No airline in their right mind would let a high risk, seven month’s pregnant woman– _with triplets–_ onto their plane.

And stupid Dr. Saperstein and his stupid rules. She thought it was bad enough that he told her she had to start slowing down in her first trimester, but now? Now, he had made her cut back to only forty hours a week, no long distance travelling, and no staying up late to work on projects.

What did he know anyway?

To make matters worse, she was too big to comfortably fit in a booth at JJ’s Diner.

That’s where Ben was now, out on a JJ’s run because Leslie would be damned if she had to give up her waffles. She would have gone with him at least, but getting in and out of the car was another thing that was just more trouble than it was worth.

Ugh, stupid, stupid Ben with his stupid sperm and stupid penis. _He_ was the reason she was like this. It was all his fault.

She was still fuming on the couch when Ben comes home–the couch being one of about three places in their entire house that she’s comfortable. She basically comes home, parks herself here for the rest of the night before Ben has to help her upstairs to their bed.

“Hey, babe,” his voice called out just after she heard the door slam behind him. “Sorry it took a little longer than normal, but I forgot that they’re doing construction on Pine and had to go the long way around.”

Oh, yeah, she was so upset at everything else she forgot how hungry she was.

He walked into the living room with the bags of takeout and set them on the coffee table with a smile before quickly kissing her forehead with a light hand on her belly.

He looked so relaxed and happy and comfortable and NOT pregnant, that she just wanted to pull out every strand of his thick, gorgeous hair.

She must have been making her pinched, angry face because he looked back up at her and his smile dropped. In it’s place was one of thinly masked fear. That was his “Leslie’s hormonal and angry” face that she was all too familiar with now.

“Look,” he said quickly with his hands up in apology, “I’m really, really sorry. I totally forgot about the construction, otherwise I would have been back sooner and-”

“I’m not angry about the food. Although, I kind of am now because I’m starving, but that’s not it.”

He almost audibly gulped. “Oh, uhm, is-is there something I can do to help? D-did I do something else that I should be apologizing for?”

“You have no idea, do you?”

His eyes were as wide as saucers and he looked like a tiny, shaking puppy that had been backed into a corner. He shook his head quickly.

Leslie took a huge, angry bite of her waffles and shot him another glare. “You have _no_  idea how much it sucks being pregnant. There are three babies in there Ben. THREE! I don’t readily admit this, but I’m tiny. My body wasn’t meant to hold this many children in me at once. I can barely walk anymore, every part of my body aches, and what’s worse is that I can’t even use work to distract me from it all. And you know what else? It’s all your fault.”

His jaw drops open, but he was wise enough not to respond.

“Yeah, that’s right, Wyatt. It’s all your fault. You and your stupid handsome face and your sperm and your penis. You and your damn penis.”

“I don’t remember hearing you complain about it before. Especially not during your second trimester,” he mumbled, but then shut his mouth with a renewed sense of fear.

“Yeah, well _your_ penis is the whole reason any of this happened in the first place. Your super sperm just HAD to fertilize all three of my eggs in there. You’re the reason that I feel like such a bloated piece of crap.”

“Hey, sweetheart, I know you’re upset, but remember that Dr. Saperstein said to try to stay as calm as possible to not raise you’re blood pressure-”

Just him telling her to not be so angry made her even angrier, and she clenched her jaw and grunted in frustration. Her eyes then went wide as she felt that painful pressure on her bladder. Within milliseconds she went from bitter and angry to sad a remorseful.

Ben looked surprised at her sudden change, especially once she started crying. 

“Oh, hey, babe, I’m sorry. Don’t cry. It’s okay. I’m sorry about my super sperm and penis and everything that made you upset–”

She shook her head and tried to calm herself down enough to even get a word out. “I’m not upset at you anymore. “I’m crying because now I have to pee really bad and I can’t even get off the couch by myself anymore, and even though I just yelled at you and said terrible things about you and your penis, you’re still going to help me up and be an amazing husband and help me up the stairs to bed and tell me you love me and rub cocoa butter on my belly and I’m just the worst.”

She put her face in her hands and cried even more.

“Oh, honey, it’s okay.” He wrapped an arm around her shoulder and pulled her as close to him as physically possible and kissed her hair. “I know you’re just uncomfortable and have a lot of stuff going on. You’re not the worst.”

“I love our babies, Ben. I really, really do, but I just want them out of me already.”

“I know. And I can’t even begin to imagine what you’re going through. I just want to help however I can.”

“That’s why you’re the best husband in the entire universe and are going to be the best father ever. And I’m sorry about what I said about your penis. I don’t hate it. I really, really like it. A lot. And I swear I won’t say another negative thing about it again.”

“Just remember that when you’re in labor,” he teased and gave her another quick kiss, rubbing his hand over her large belly. “Don’t worry, just a little while longer before we get to meet them and then all you’ll be able to focus on is that it was all worth it because now we have them.”

She sniffed and smiled. “Yeah, you’re right. Thank you, and I love you…but I wasn’t joking before I really have to pee and I need you to hoist me up.”

“Oh, right.” He stood up quickly and grunted as he pulled.

She waddled slowly towards the bathroom, Ben never once letting go of her hand. And as crappy as she felt, as upset as she was about not being able to work and just feel like herself, as much as she wanted to take it all out on Ben, she also realized how lucky she was.

She had a husband that adored her, and job she loved, and soon, she’d have the three best babies in the entire world. None of it would have been possible without Ben.

She couldn’t wait until she could thank him–and his penis–properly.


	40. Much Better Off

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fic prompt: On the 1-year anniversary of "Are You Better Off?" and when Leslie is getting ready to start the National Parks job, she sets aside a night to thank Ben for being by her side in a year where she lost or almost lost everything else dear to her, and still ended with a new dream job and family because of him -- proving definitively he's all she needs.

As a general rule, Leslie did her best to not lie to her husband. She’d never admit it to him, but he was right when he said she’s not that sneaky. Or maybe it’s just that he knows her so well, he can always tell.

But she sometimes made exceptions, times like tonight. He was helping her move the last of her things from her parks office to the third floor when she faked a wave of morning sickness and went home early.

She knew Ben would forgive her, though, when he came home to the candlelight dinner she managed to throw together. It wasn’t even close to what he deserved after everything they had been through in the last year, but it was a start.

“Hey, honey!” his voice called out as she heard the front door slam. “How are you feeling? Do you want me to go and pick up-” He stopped when he walked into the dining room and his eyebrows raised in surprise. “What’s this?”

She shrugged from her place behind one of the chairs and smiled. “I might have lied about feeling sick, so, sorry about making you take up the last few boxes from my office, but I wanted to surprise you.”

He shook his head as he walked over to her, that sly grin on his face that she just wanted to kiss. “Only you would try to do something nice and surprise me on _your_  special day.”

She sighed into his mouth when he kissed her, and she was half tempted to skip ahead on her list of special things to do for Ben tonight, but she refrained. 

“But it’s not just my special day,” she said when he pulled away. “It’s our day because I wouldn’t have this job if it wasn’t for you.”

He gave her that adorable little confused look, with his head cocked to the side like he was trying to figure her out. 

“Do you remember where we were this time last year? Half of the city was ready to recall me. You fought by my side for months trying to prepare for my recall election. You were there when I went through my different phases in my plan, you skipped your own birthday party to support my filibuster. You calmed me down and cuddled me when everything was overwhelming.” 

She reached out and grabbed his hand. “And after I lost, you knew just what to do to help me. Okay, so that first night getting drunk and needing Ann to rescue us probably wasn’t the best, but still. You supported me in everything. You even gave up your Sweetums job so I wouldn’t have to make a fool of myself after I was a little too loose of a canon. You tried to talk some sense into me about running against Dexhart, and then you got Jen to come in? And took me to Paris? I mean, sometimes I wonder how you’re even real. But if it wasn’t for all of that, I wouldn’t have been available to take this job. I was on the fence about this too, but you just knew that it would work out. And it did and now I get the have everything that I want.”

She took his hand and put it on her belly. “I mean everything, Ben. I have this job right here in Pawnee, I have you, and I have our babies. And yeah, who’s to say that if we never met, I wouldn’t have some other job that I love, but I wouldn’t have _this._ You’ve helped give me more than I ever thought was possible. So, if tonight’s my special night, it’s just as much yours, too.”

He gave her another face she would never get tired of seeing. The look that he had been giving her since long before the Harvest Festival. If she had only known then just what that look meant. It made her feel like she could do anything.

“You’re the best wife in the whole world.” He looked down at his hand still softly caressing her belly. “And you’ve given me so much, too. I was so…lost before I found you and Pawnee. You gave me hope and a home and a family that’s growing even bigger.” He leaned in and kissed her again. “I love you, Regional Director Knope.”

“And I love you, City Manager Ben Wyatt.” She squeezed his hand and tugged on it. “Okay, now as much as I want to keep making out with you, that comes later. We have a schedule to stick to, mister, so let’s eat.”

“Oh, yeah, I’m starving. What did you get?”

She gave him a coy smile. “Oh, you know, nothing crazy. I stopped at that Italian place you liked and–”

“Babe, is that a calzone?”

She cackled at his almost crazed look of excitement. “Yes it is. I told you, it’s your night, too. So you deserve a calzone no matter how stupid it is. And you just wait, the night’s only gonna get better.”

And it did.


	41. Jump Your Bones

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt" Post "I wanna jump your bones" fanfic

 

 

“I really don’t see how this is a problem,” Ben says, his mouth currently attached to the curve of her neck.

“It’s not. You’re just a bad influence,” Leslie sighs, gasping when she feels him nip at her skin then soothe it with his tongue.

He chuckles and Leslie can feel it vibrating throughout her entire body. “You say you can’t go five seconds without wanting to jump my bones, and _I’m_  the bad influence? No man can resist that kind of come on.”

His lips travel down her collarbone, and he takes a nipple between his teeth. Her hips raise up to grind against his erection through his boxer shorts, and God, she can’t wait until that man is inside of her.

“I thought maybe you would be the strong one and tell me to wait until I finalized my Ann board. I can’t help that you’re irresistible.”

“Sorry to disappoint, babe,” he murmurers between her breasts, “but I will never turn down sex with you. Not for all of the Ann boards in the world. Besides, by the looks of it, I think you have it all worked out.”

“Mmm, right there. Sh-shows how much you know. I’m nowhere near done having a ranked list of topics.”

His hand snakes down her belly, sliding underneath the band of her underwear and cupping her. “Forgive my ignorance. But I did notice that I’m up there a few times.”

Why is he still talking about her Ann board when his fingers are circling her clit like that and teasing her? “Mmm, uh, yeah. You’re one of my favorite topics.”

He slips one, then two, then three fingers inside of her and smirks. “That’s very flattering. So you dream about me having a goatee, huh?”

She nods quickly not really able to focus on anything but the way his fingers keep pumping in and out of her. Seriously, why the _fuck_  is he still talking about the board?

“Gotta remember that. Don’t expect me to grow any hardcore facial hair anytime soon, but maybe next long weekend, I’ll let it grow out a bit. Don’t think I don’t know how much it drives you crazy when my stubble rubs your thighs when I go down on you.”

She whimpers, partly out of desire and a little bit of impatience. “You’re right. But honestly I just want you to go down on me right now, beard or no beard.”

He smirks again and slides his fingers out of her, sucking them dry before slowly tugging her underwear down her legs. 

The slow kisses up her legs and on the inside of her thighs are driving her wild, and she’s doing her best to angle her hips just right to try to force her pussy into his face. But, damn him, he knows all of her tricks.

One hand moves to the curve of her hip to hold her down while the other goes even higher to roll a nipple between his fingers. Patience, baby doll. If I’m gonna take you away from your Ann board, I’m damn well gonna make it worth your time.”

God, she loves this man that is driving her absolutely crazy, and just when she thinks she’s going to explode from sexual frustration, he takes a long, firm lick that ends with his tongue circling her clit.

She cries out, and her hand almost immediately curls into his thick hair and pulls. She doesn’t have to see it to know that his smirk is back. She can practically feel it before his tongue pushes inside of her and he moves to pinch her other nipple.  

She forgets all about her Ann board as his tongue moves in and out of her, when his fingers take over, thrusting inside of her as he sucks her clit into his mouth. 

By the end, when she’s writhing and gasping and moaning his name as she cums around his fingers, she wonders why on earth she ever viewed her insatiable desire for her husband as a negative.

She falls bonelessly against the bed, trying to catch her breath as Ben kisses his way back up her body. His thrusts his tongue into her mouth, and she moans again when she tastes herself.

“I’m almost afraid to ask, but you’re going to tell Ann all of this, aren’t you?”

She smiles lazily and shrugs. “Maybe just a little. It sort of involves her in a way if you think about it. Probably not _too_  much detail, but you never know.” She lifts her body up just enough to push him down and hover over him. Her hand pushes past the waist of his boxers and strokes his straining erection. “But I’m not going back to the board for a while. I have a favor to return, and then my husband is going to fuck my brains out.”

Yeah, this is  _way_  better than Sandra Bullock’s skirt length.

 


	42. The Ultimate Betrayal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When the calzones betray him, all Ben wants is to be the little spoon

“Babe, I’m home!” Leslie calls out as she closes the front door behind her. “Babe?”

She walks upstairs to their bedroom to find a very pale Ben curled up in the fetal position on their bed.

“Oh, honey, what happened? Are you sick?” she asks, crawling beside him.

He moans, his arms wrapping even more tightly around his stomach. “I’m dying. It…it was…the calzones.”

“Wait, what? The ones from the tasting with the caterers? What about them?”

“F-food poisoning. All of us…’cept Tom. They betrayed me, babe. Never again.”

For some reason, Leslie highly doubts it’ll last, but she still feels terrible. “I’m so sorry. Is there anything that I can do to make you feel better? Do you need me to get you anything?”

He’s barely able to shake his head, but he pouts his lip. “No, j-just, cuddle me. Please?”

Leslie smiles and kicks off her shoes and slides down in front of him.

“Nuh-uh,” he shakes his head again. “Will you be the big spoon?”

She giggles a little despite the fact that her poor fiance is miserable and crawls around behind him. Settling with her chin tucked into the crook of his neck and an arm draped over his hip, she sighs and kisses his clammy skin. “Better?”

“Mmmhmm. I still feel pukey and awful, but I think I’m a little less dead.”

She smiles again into his skin, and even though he’s pukey and there’s a bad smell wafting in from the bathroom that she’s pretty sure he’s responsible for, she’ll be the big spoon for as long as he needs.


	43. Little Lady Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sonia's first Galentine's Day

“Okay, babe, we’re leaving!”

“Leslie, are you sure you want to take her with you? I can watch all three of them while you go out for Galentine’s Day.”

“I’m offended you even asked me that question. You think that I would just leave Sonia– _our only daughter_ –out of the festivities on her first Galentine’s Day? This is a rite of passage for her. She needs to learn early on the importance of ladies on lady friends.”

“Honey, she’s barely three months old. I don’t think she’ll know the difference.”

“Shows how much you know, Ben. Look, I know you’re trying to help, but trust me. I can take her and it’ll be fine. Everyone already expects her to come, too. She’s got her own gift basket _and_  needlepoint pillow for the nursery. It’s a special First Galentine’s Day Commemorative Edition.”

“Hmm, I _do_  understand the importance of special editions…I mean, of course she can go. I was just trying to help out.”

“Yes, and that makes you the most wonderful husband and father in the world, but it’s fine. Actually, I’m more worried about you. All alone with the two boys considering basically everyone that you could call to help you out will be at the brunch with me, so… Have fun with that!”

“Hmm, yeah, there’s that. Uhm, sure, it’ll be fine! We’ll make our own fun. Like, they sleep and Daddy get’s to watch TV. Anyway, love you two. Have fun celebrating ladies.”

“Oh, we totally will. And even if she won’t remember it, I just want her to always remember that she has some amazing ladies in her life that’ll always be there for her.”

“Leslie, I don’t think there will ever be an opportunity for her to forget.”


	44. Cornerstones

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Ben knows Leslie loves him, but it takes a while for it to sink in that she could possibly love him as deeply and unconditionally as she does Pawnee, work, waffles, parks, Joe Biden and the other real cornerstones of her life.

It’s been a week.

One week since they decided to say screw it and do this thing for real. One week since their relationship was literally put on trial and he resigned–in disgrace–in order to be with her, since they finally admitted how much they love each other.

One week, and Ben still wakes up every morning scared that it might all be a dream.

It doesn’t take long to get used to the feeling of having her in his bed again, or her bed as the case may be. Maybe he never really stopped. But either way, each morning starts with that brief moment of panic if she’s not beside him, only quelled when he hears her moving around outside of the room or can smell her shampoo on the pillowcase.

But then there’s something else, too, that sometimes sits like a rock in the pit of his stomach. 

He loves her, knows that without a shadow of a doubt, and logically, he knows Leslie loves him, too. But his brain knowing something and his heart believing it aren’t always the same things.

And he feels like the worst possible kind of jerk. He doesn’t doubt her sincerity. Not at all. But he’s not used to having people care about him in this way, and his self-confidence when it comes to relationships isn’t always the best.

And he knows Leslie. He knows how deeply and fiercely she _can_  love, and he wonders where exactly he falls on her scale. _How_  does she love him?

Because there are a lot of loves of Leslie’s life. She loves her work, she loves Pawnee more than Ben ever thought it possible to love a town, not to mention the parks that reside within said town.

She loves waffles smothered in whipped cream to the point where he wouldn’t be surprised if her patronage alone was keeping JJ’s Diner open, and she loves Ann.

Boy, does she love Ann.

And he wonders to himself if she loves him as deeply as she loves these things. As much as Li’l Sebastian, or if she finds him as sexy as Joe Biden.

When he gets lost inside of his own head and truly thinks about it, he wonders how on earth she possibly _could_. What does he have to offer her? He’s a failed former mayor that destroyed his hometown. He came into her life wielding a budget-cutting machete and tried to have her fired. 

And now he’s a thirty-something disgraced former Assistant City Manager with no job that might be responsible for the downfall of her entire campaign and chance to have her dream job.

It just really doesn’t make any sense. 

He knows he should just be happy and try to let it go, and for the most part, he just accepts it for what it is, but for some reason, right now his mind won’t let him rest.

For once, he’s up earlier than she is, and he turns over in Leslie’s bed and watches her sleep. His heart just _aches_  with the love that he has for her, love that has only really caused her nothing but trouble. 

He can’t help it. He tried staying away from her for her own good, but he just couldn’t, and he doesn’t see that changing anytime soon. Maybe that makes him selfish. It probably does.

He reaches out and tucks a strand of stray hair away from her face, his thumb ghosting down her cheek. She stirs and turns over, her eyes opening into small slits.  When she sees him, a soft, sleepy smile lights up her face.

“Sorry,” he whispers, “go back to sleep.”

“S’okay,” she slurs and cuddles into his chest, wrapping her arms around his waist. She kisses his shoulder and sighs a soft “I love you” against his skin, and that’s all it takes.

She loves him. She loves him in the greatest, fiercest way that she knows how, and for him, that’s enough.


	45. Rules of Engagement

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Post Ben's Parents. Basically smut...

The door to the house– _their_ house– is barely closed behind them before his lips are on hers again. Truthfully, they’ve been touching her skin in some form or fashion since they took that very expensive and very well worth it cab ride from April and Andy’s.

Her hands are in Ben’s hair tugging and pulling as he nips at her bottom lip, guiding her up the stairs towards their bedroom. They’re not completely unpacked and boxes are stacked in almost every corner of the room, but they sidestep them with ease before the back of Leslie’s thighs hit the corner of the bed and she falls backwards.

She expects Ben to follow, but instead he stands there, licking his lips slowly as he stares down at her flat on her back and completely at his mercy. His gaze is so intense, and she can feel the wetness pooling between her legs. She can’t help but rub her thighs together to quell the intense throbbing of her clit. Another thrill runs through her when she doesn’t feel the barrier between her skin and the dress, knowing that her underwear was slowly slipped down her legs in the cab and currently reside in one of Ben’s pockets.

She watches through hooded lids as he takes his tie off and unbuttons his shirt. She wants to sit up and help, wants to feel her hands on his skin, but his stare keeps her frozen on the bed. Leslie bites her lip when he tosses his shirt on the floor and unbuckles his belt. His slacks hang low on his narrow hips and she wants nothing more than to trace that strip of hair leading into his boxer shorts with her tongue.

But she doesn’t dare move. He’s looking at her in the way she knows all too well. If she moves, if she tries to touch him before he says it’s okay, he’ll step back and threaten to tie up her hands again–which wouldn’t be so bad except, no, she needs to feel him, tonight, and if she just waits a little while longer, he’ll make it worth it.

He always rewards her patience.

Leslie lifts herself up on her elbows when her fiancé slides his pants and boxers slowly down his hips, and when his erections springs free, her mouth waters. She hears him chuckle as she stares at him, imagining the hundreds of things she wants to do to him and have done to her.

“He likes it when you stare,” he says in a low, gravelly voice that’s just so sexy she can barely contain herself.

“Something that beautiful deserves to be stared at,” she says licking her lips. “Deserves a lot more than that actually.”

“All in good time. But you’re coming first tonight, in every sense of the word. I wanna make it up to you for my family being the worst.”

She smiles. “Babe, you don’t have to keep apologizing. Everything went fine.”

He steps towards the bed and rests his knees on the mattress just enough to bring his face level with hers. “I want to, okay? I need this, too. I need to show you that I’m not them. That I want to spend the rest of my life putting you first.”

He’s so close and she just wants to kiss him but she can’t move. She barley musters a nod before he stands back up.

“Turn around and lie flat on your stomach,” he says in that strong, stern voice again and she obeys.

She feels the bed dip under his weight and before long his hands are sliding up her back and grabbing her zipper. He kisses every inch of skin that gets revealed as he slowly pulls it down. Once completely undone, he spends a few extra moments nuzzling her skin before he focuses again in the dress. He pushes the fabric off of her shoulders and she helps slide her arms out of the sleeves before he pulls it down her body. When she raises her hips so he can take it completely off, he groans and she’s like 99% sure it’s because of her ass.

He’s an ass man, and she’s totally fine with that, especially given the amount of time she’s spent fantasizing about his own perfect butt. She gives her hips an extra wiggle, and smirks when he curses softly under his breath. The dress joins his clothes somewhere on the floor of their bedroom.

He goes back to kneading her ass, trailing up and down her back every so often, but he just can’t seem to leave her butt alone. Yeah, she knows that feeling, too.

His hands stop at her hips and squeeze, tugging when he tells her to get on her knees. That voice is back, and it makes her shiver because he’s about to make her putty in his hands. Her lower half is barely raised up before his mouth is on her, licking and sucking and _fuck_ his tongue feels so amazing at this angle. 

“God, Leslie, I’ve been wanting to taste you since that stupid quilt debacle.”

If he wasn’t doing such amazing things to her right now, she might have had something to say about his use of the word stupid around her quilt, but now all she can do is moan into her pillow and grip the sheets with her fists. 

He’s a master with his mouth, knowing exactly the right pressure and placement to have her writhing and begging for release. Her orgasm hits her hard and fast, Ben’s grip tight on her hips as he holds her against his mouth. 

She barely has time to recover before he slides into her and _holy shit_  she’ll never get over how big and perfect he feels when he fucks her from behind.

“Jesus, babe, you’re so tight like this.”

She wishes she knew words right now, but she doesn’t. Not with the way he’s slamming into her and moaning and cursing and _shit_  he’s so good at this. She’s gonna marry a sex god. It’s perfect. He’s perfect, and he’s going to be her husband. 

And she loves him. Loves his tiny waist and hands and perfect butt. Loves him enough to deal with his crazy family and Star Trek rants. Did she mention his family is crazy? 

But Ben is not crazy, he’s amazing and perfect and wonderful, and _fuck_  he’s going to be doing this to her every day for the rest of their lives if she has anything to say about it. 

No one has ever known her body like he does, and no one ever will. Only the man that’s hitting every right spot in her right now has ever made her feel this good, has taken the time to learn every inch of her.

She feels it again, that coiling deep in her belly that’s threatening to snap. It only takes a few more well timed, deep thrusts and choice words and she’s flying again with stars exploding behind her eyes and Ben’s name on her lips.

It’s not long after that before Ben lets himself go, and no, there won’t ever be anything that comes close to feeling his cum seeping out of her.

He collapses half on top of her, half on the bed, and it’s a little sticky and they’ll probably have a few sore muscles if they don’t move soon, but at the same time, it seems like a small price to pay for the sheer bliss she feels with him so close to her, still partially inside of her.

He eventually rolls away from the wet spot and takes her with him, peppering kisses on any part of her that’s the closest. 

“You didn’t let me say a special thank you to your penis,” she says with a little, tired pout.

“I don’t know, that felt pretty damn special to me. My penis and I enjoyed that very much. Trust me.”

“And my vagina also loved it very much, trust me, but my poor mouth feels left out of all of the fun.”

He laughs, low and deep and she can feel the vibrations where her back is pressed against his chest. “I didn’t mean to make your mouth unhappy. Next time, she gets first dibs, I promise.”

And it’s okay because he has the rest of his life to make up for it.


	46. Revival

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Ben gets very excited and also EXCITED ;) for the new x files

“Oh my God.” Ben stares at his computer, slack-jawed with unblinking eyes. “I don’t…I can’t believe this.”

Leslie walks into the room, having just put the last of the triplets down for a nap. “What’s up? Is something wrong? I told you to stop searching around the internet for Star Wars spoilers. It gets you too riled up.”

He looks up from the screen and a slow smile spreads on his face. “No, it’s not that. It’s good news. _Really_  good news that’s not Star Wars related.”

“Twin Peaks?”

“No, not that either, but close. Wow, does everything that excites me revolve around television and movies?”

Leslie giggles and cuddles up next to him on the bed. “Yeah, pretty much. That and your games, but I took a stab in the dark and guessed it was screen related. So what is it that’s got you all excited?”

“They just announced that the X Files is coming back for a six episode run early next year. Babe, I’ve waited 13 years for this moment. I even went to the theater to see that terrible movie in 2008. It’s finally happening.”

“The X Files…” She peers over his shoulder and reads the article. “Oh yeah, that’s the one with the FBI agents that hunt aliens, right?”

“Oh, see, common generalization. They didn’t really _hunt_  aliens. They investigated cases related to the paranormal while simultaneously trying to uncover a global government conspiracy meant to conceal the existence of extraterrestrial life.”

“Riiiiight, okay. My mistake. But good, I’m happy they’re bringing your show back.”

Ben leans back and sighs. “Wow, you have no idea how much I loved it. Every week I’d tune in, and back when the internet was still just starting to blossom, I’d go on the message boards to discuss episodes and theories. That was the show that started it all for me. And Scully? Whoa, talk about some fantasies.”

“You’re not gonna ask me to wear a red wig anytime soon, are you?”

Ben shakes his head with a chuckle. “No, don’t worry about that. Well, not unless you want to. I mean, there are endless role play scenarios we could choose from with them-” She shoots him a look. “But yeah, no, don’t worry. God, I just can’t get over this. I’m just pulsating with energy right now.” He looks over at her and licks his lips. “How long do you think we have before the babies wake up?”

“Uhm, about two hours or so before they’re hungry again. Why, did you…wait seriously? Are you really that turned on?”

His nostrils flare and he nods, looking her up and down. “You remember when they brought back your favorite binder tabs after they had been discontinued? You got so excited you ran into my office and dragged me into a supply closet? This is my binder tab.”

“Oh, well why didn’t you say so?” Leslie closes his laptop and moves it to the night stand before straddling him. “I’m surprised then that I’m still wearing all of my clothes then.”

“Oh, don’t worry. You won’t be for long. God, I’m gonna ravish you.”

“Well, I certainly _want to believe_  that’ll happen. See what I did there? I-”

But his lips are on hers and he’s kissing her until they’re both breathless. “Babe that was so fucking hot. Say something else.”

“The truth is out there.”

He groans. “Oh my God, you’re driving me crazy.”

She grinds herself over his growing erection and smiles wickedly when she throws her shirt across the room.  “Good. But right now I think the truth is in your pants, and I want to believe that you’re going to use it to do some amazing things to me. What do you think? There seems to be something mysterious going on between my legs.”

He laughs and turns her over, kissing his way down her body and sliding his hands under the waist of her pants. “Sounds like an X File to me. Maybe I should investigate.”

When his hand slides between her thighs, his thumb circling her clit, when his tongue is takes the place of his fingers, she thinks that yeah, maybe it is an X File because how he can make her feel that good certainly is unexplainable. 

And maybe she won’t be so opposed to a red wig in the future, either…


	47. Seven Sentences: The Feather

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seven Sentence Drabble: Leslie/Ben: He should have been expecting it of course, but Ben still jumped when it happened.

He should have been expecting it of course, but Ben still jumped when it happened. It was just a feather, and Leslie told him exactly what she was going to do, but the blindfold covering his eyes and the plastic handcuffs rubbing his wrists made everything feel new and intensified.

“It’s just me,” she said softly, trailing the feather up and down his stomach before moving to his thighs, “and you trust me, don’t you?”

It’s true when he answered, “more than anything,” and willed himself to relax because he wouldn’t be doing this with her if he didn’t, and he wanted nothing more than to prove it.

She giggled and he writhed as the feather made endless loops and twists and turns on his skin, his muscles twitching with every pass.

He jumped again but for a whole new reason, pulling against the cuffs and raising his hips when her mouth sunk down on him. He almost wished he could see her taking him in, wished he could run his fingers through her hair as her head moved up and down, but hearing her, feeling her moan around him because of the rush of power made everything worth it.

He was completely at her mercy, and when he finally, _finally_  let go, he realized he didn’t need his eyes or his hands, only Leslie. 


	48. Seven Sentences: Fatherhood

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seven sentence drabble: "It's the kind of thing that would've freaked him out before."

It’s the kind of thing that would’ve freaked him out before. 

Having a living, breathing tiny human rely on him for every single thing it needed to survive might have once sent him into a full blown panic attack. The thought of it actually has on multiple occasions over the last nine months, and he wasn’t going to have just one. Oh no, he was going to have three all at the same time.

But when the first baby is put into his arms, then the other and then the other, when he looks down at their scrunched up faces through a haze of happy tears, every ounce of fear is gone. 

There’s no fear of dropping them as instinct takes over, and he knows that he’ll die before he lets anything happen to them. He doesn’t care how much college will cost in 18 years, doesn’t care how many dirty diapers he has to clean up or how many hours of sleep he’ll lose. 

All that matters now is them, and with Leslie at his side, he knows there’s nothing they can’t do. 


	49. Seven Sentences: Unfathomable

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seven sentence drabble: After all those years before her, Ben often couldn't fathom how she could love someone like him this much - all while Leslie thought the exact same thing about him.

After all those years before her, Ben often couldn’t fathom how she could love someone like him this much - all while Leslie thought the exact same thing about him. 

He almost didn’t believe it when she told him, wrapped in his arms after his own confessions of doubt. How after her own failed relationships, the heartbreak and rejection, she wasn’t sure she’d ever find someone who would love her, flaws and quirks and all. 

No, it wasn’t right because _he_  was the one unworthy of her love, the disgraced former mayor with a lifetime of baggage and failure. She was sunshine and goodness with skin as sweet as sugar, and he was just…Ben.

But when he was with her, she made him feel like he was someone worth loving, like the demons of his past were being exorcised with every one of her kisses.

So when she buried her face in his neck and pulled him close like she was afraid he’d disappear before her eyes, he only held her tight and whispered how much he loved her in her ear. 

Maybe that’s all that mattered now, not the who the how or the why. It just was, and that was something they both could live with. 


	50. Seven Sentences: Socks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seven sentence drabble: Not again," Westley said, throwing his hands in the air, "God why does this keep happening?"

“Not again,” Westley said, throwing his hands in the air, “God why does this keep happening?”

Sonia patted her brother on his shoulder just as Stephen walked into the common room. “Oh, man, who’d you walk in on this time? Couldn’t have been Mom and Dad again–oh it was Soso, wasn’t it? I bet it was.”

Wes grabbed the nearest pillow and threw it at his brother as Sonia gave him her most disgusted look.

“Ew, no, he did _not_ walk in on me having sex. Gross. It was-”

“YOU!” Wes shouted. “It was you, you idiot! How did you not even notice? I didn’t want to share a room with you, but noooo you said it’d be fine! It’d be great! I thought we agreed on some kind of sock on the door system, but you never follow _any_  of the roommate rules and so I was forced to walk in on…THAT. Do you know how scaring it is that I have now seen the naked, thrusting ass of EVERY male in our family? Seriously, _how_  did you not even know I was there? And why aren’t you freaking out as much as I am?”

“Dude I was kind of a little preoccupied in the moment, and I just had some _amazing_  sex, so I’m good. Although, maybe _I’m_  not the problem here. This kind of bad luck does seem to follow you around, so you have no one to blame but yourself.”

Another pillow flew across the room and hit Stephen square in the face. 


	51. Seven Sentences: Glasses

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seven sentence drabble: “Honey, have you seen my glasses?”

“Honey, have you seen my glasses?” 

Leslie pokes her head in the room and shrugs. “Last I saw you left them on the coffee table next to your book. They aren’t there?”

“No. I’ve looked everywhere. I know I left them here, too. It’s like they grew legs and walked away.” Ben sticks his hands under the couch cushions, but still no luck.

“Are you sure you didn’t leave them somewhere else and forgot? You’re not getting any younger, you know.” She winks and cackles when he makes his adorable grumpy face. 

But her cackle is soon followed by another, quieter one, and a little body topped with a mop of brown hair zooms across the room to hide behind the couch.

“Wes,” Ben calls out with a lilt, “what are you up to, buddy?”

The three-year-old giggles again and runs back out to his father and mother, a wide smile on his face. There, perched lopsided and falling off of the end of his nose are Ben’s glasses.

“Looks like we solved that mystery,” Leslie laughs before puling out her phone to take a picture.

Wes launches himself into Ben’s arms. “Like Daddy!” 

Ben’s lips curve and his heart threatens to burst out of his chest. “Yeah,” he says with a kiss to his son’s cheek, “just like Daddy.”


	52. Seven Sentences: Sparks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seven sentence drabble: “It’s only a small fire, nothing to worry about,” Stephen said.

“It’s only a small fire, nothing to worry about,” Stephen said.

Westley was still slamming his blanket over the electric griddle in their dorm room when he gave his brother a murderous look. “You know, I don’t know what’s worse. The fact that you brought this faulty, fire making machine into our room, or that it’s the third time I’ve heard you use that exact phrase in our lifetimes.”

“Well, it’s always been true, hasn’t it? I haven’t seriously injured anyone or caused all that much damage.”

“The first time you were just lucky that Soso knew how to put out a grease fire, the second one was outside and we had time to get the hose, and now..well you get the picture. One of these days you’re going live on your own and burn your house down trying to make a panini in bed or something”

Stephen pointed at his brother and nodded. “First of all, that’s a brilliant idea. Second of all, you worry too much. And now I’m mad because you unplugged it too forcefully and broke my griddle.”

“You literally found this thing in a dumpster and it caught fire almost immediately after you plugged it in, and it’s still somehow _my_  fault?”

“Uhm, yeah.”

Wes threw down his blanket and grabbed his backpack. “You’re unbelievable. I’m going to leave before I either strangle you or you somehow manage to burn down the dorm some other way.”

“Hey,” Stephen called out to his brother’s retreating back, “can you pick me up a breakfast sandwich while you’re out? My griddle is broken.”

All he heard was Westley muffled scream.


	53. Search and Rescue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fic Prompt: set before go big or go home. Leslie doesn't show up to a budget meeting and Ben is so worried her goes to look for her. (the reason why is up to you)

Ben thought something was a little off when Leslie didn’t show up to the conference room ten minutes before the meeting started. By five minutes, he began to worry, and at five after, he knew something was wrong.

It shouldn’t have been a big deal. It was an optional meeting that only four department heads even bothered showing up to, but none of them was Leslie Knope.

Leslie Knope, the thorn in his side since the day he met her. The woman that filled his calendar with meeting after meeting talking about impossible projects and asking for money that didn’t exist. The woman that was at every budget discussion, mandatory or not, with a binder filled with a thousand questions and a thousand and one possible solutions.

Ben tried not to think about it during the meeting, but he had this sinking feeling in his gut that something wasn’t right, and he did something he almost never did and cut the meeting short. It’s not like any of them really cared about what he was saying, anyway. They probably just showed up to get brownie points.

He quickly gathered his things, bypassing his temporary office and walking straight to the Parks and Rec department. The lights were dimmed like no one had been there in a while, and since the shutdown, Leslie was the only person from the department allowed in City Hall.

Ben did his best to swallow the panic that was rising in his throat. He didn’t know _why_ he felt this way. He really shouldn’t. Leslie was technically under no obligation to be at that meeting, and during the government shut down, she honestly had no reason to be at City Hall as much as she was anyway.

But for some reason, logic didn’t make him feel the slightest bit better about the situation. He pulled out his phone to check email. No new messages from her. Ok, _that_ was weird. He always had emails from her at any and all hours of the day.

He found her number and called, but there was no answer on her cell phone or her house line.

Something wasn’t right, and he was kind of starting to freak out.

Ben ran back to his office (okay, so it was more of a power walk) and rifled through the different employee files until he found hers. Emergency contact: Ann Perkins.

Perfect. Ann might hate him enough on Leslie’s behalf, but at least she’d most likely know where Leslie was.

“Hello?”

“Uh, hi, Ann? Ann Perkins?”

“Yes, this is she. Who’s this?”

“Oh! Sorry, this is Ben. Ben Wyatt.”

And just like that, her voice turned guarded. “Yeah? Is there something I can help you with?”

“Yes, I’m really sorry to bother you but it says in Leslie’s file that you’re her emergency contact and-”

“Oh my God, is she okay? I’m working at the hospital right now and I didn’t hear anything about her being brought in but-”

“No!” he cut in quickly. “No, sorry. Nothing’s really wrong. At least I don’t think. It’s just, uhm, Leslie didn’t show up to a meeting today and she normally does and she’s not in her office and I–well, Chris was really worried so he asked me to call. You know how he is.”

“No, I really don’t. But anyway, last I heard, Leslie’s fine.”

“D-do you know where she is?”

Ann sighed. “Ben, she asked me not to–”

“Look, I know that you and Leslie think I’m a jerk, and honestly I don’t really blame you right now. If she’s off doing something she probably isn’t supposed to, you can tell me and I promise I won’t get mad or anything. I–we just want to know where she is and that she’s okay.”

Ann hesitated for a while, and Ben thought she wasn’t going to tell him.

“Fine. Since you shut everything down, Leslie’s been going around in her free time to a few of the different parks and checking up on them. Doing some maintenance and stuff so that it won’t be too crazy once everything is back. I think today she’s at Harvey James Parks doing some weeding.”

Oh. _Oh._

 _“_ Please,” Ann said, “Don’t make this harder on her than it already is. She’s not breaking and rules or costing the city any money. She just…she really cares, okay? She really, really cares and she’s doing whatever she can to help.”

“I know she is. Thanks for letting me know.”

“Sure.”

Ann hung up without a good bye, but it’s not like Ben was really expecting one.

Okay, so he knew where Leslie was. She wasn’t in a ditch on side of the road somewhere or sick on her deathbed. Mission accomplished.

So why was his knee bouncing and his fingers tapping against his desk. He honestly had no idea, but that didn’t stop him from grabbing his jacket and mumbling “shit” under his breath as he left.

Ben pulled up next to her car–the only other car in the parking lot– asking himself for the thousandth time what the hell he was doing here. And for the thousandth time, he didn’t have an answer. Not one that he liked, anyway.

His eyes scanned the park and found her one her knees by a small flower bed a few hundred yards away. She saw him from about halfway across the open grass and stood up with a frown. She had a back hoe with her and held it in her hand like a staff trying to look a little more intimidating.

“Before you say anything,” Leslie said when Ben was close enough, “I am well within my rights to be here. These are all my personal tools, so no government money was spent on them, and I am authorized to be in the park at all times, even during off hours. I’m not breaking any rules.”

Ben kept his hands in his pockets. “I know that. I didn’t come here to tell you to stop.”

Her eyes went wide. “Oh. Then why are you here?”

That was a damn good question, wasn’t it?

“You missed a meeting this morning, so we were a little worried.”

Leslie scrunched her face, and Ben had no idea why that made his heart beat a little bit faster.

“Wait, no I didn’t. There was nothing scheduled for today.”

“Yeah, there was. The one on proof of concept criteria.”

“But that meeting wasn’t mandatory so I didn’t need to be there.”

“No, you’re right,” Ben said with his hand rubbing his neck. “You didn’t, but that’s the first meeting, mandatory or not, that you’ve missed.”

“And that worried you?”

“Oh, uhm, not _me_ as much. Chris. You know how he gets.”

She eyed him skeptically. “Right, okay. How did you find me?”

“Ann. We called her when you didn’t answer your phone.”

“Uh, huh,” she nodded slowly. “So I don’t show up to meeting I’m _not_ supposed to be at, I’m assuming you went to my file and pulled up my emergency contact, called her, convinced her to tell you where I was, and then actually came here because you were worried?”

Oh, okay, yeah, it sounds a bit silly when she says it.

“Yes?”

That look was back. The one she gave him after the Freddy Spaghetti concert like she didn’t know what to make of him. If he had any idea himself, he might have told her.

“Well, I’m here and alive. You can go back and tell _Chris_ not to worry anymore.”

“Is this really what you’ve been doing?” Ben asked, ignoring her comment. “Going around to the different parks and taking care of things yourself.”

“Yeah. Look, Ben, I know that your job is to just swoop in and fix budgets, but you know nothing about Pawnee or me or my parks. This is more than a job for me. It’s about more than just the money. It’s about the people. And it’s not like the parks are going to take care of themselves until we get our budget back. Someone has to do it, and so far, that someone is me.”

“Even if you have to do it all by yourself?”

“Yeah, even if I have to do it all by myself.”

Ben looked at her, her worn jeans splattered in mud and dirt underneath her finger nails. Maybe Ron was right after all.

“Uhm, you’ve been out here long?”

“A few hours.”

Ben nodded and threw off his jacket and started rolling up his sleeves. What on earth was he thinking?

Leslie seemed just as confused. “What are you doing?”

“I’ve got a few extra hours. I’m gonna help.”

“Why?” She looked as shocked as he felt. 

“Because…because it’s the right thing to do. You shouldn’t have to do everything alone. I keep telling you that I’m not completely heartless. Maybe one day you’ll believe me. Can you hand me that…tiny, pointy rake looking thing.”

“It’s called a hand cultivator. Are you sure you know what you’re doing? You’re going to get those clothes filthy. Do you even have any gardening experience?”

“I grew a Lima bean once for a fourth grade science fair. Does that count?”

“Not even close, but I won’t turn away help. Especially since now this means you can help me and I can tell you a few new ideas I had. Saves me from having to set up a few more meetings.” She handed him the tool. “Let’s get started.”

Ben really, _really_ wasn’t sure what made him come here, or what made him decide to stay and help, but oddly enough, it wasn’t all that bad.

As Leslie talked again about impossible ideas with money that didn’t exist, he pulled out the first weed.


	54. Getting Leied

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Set just before the opening for Correspondent's Lunch, because Ben had the "I just had sex face" during that whole scene.

“Doesn’t it feel good to be back?” Leslie says after parking the car and taking a deep breath of Pawnee air.

“Are you asking me if I would rather be here, at Pawnee City Hall, than a tropical paradise having nearly non-stop sex with my wife?”

“Hmm, yeah, it’s a tough choice, I know.” She isn’t kidding. 

“No, it’s really not, but it is good being back home.” He leans over the middle console and nuzzles her neck. “But you have to admit that honeymoon sex is awesome.”

“Beeeennnn,” she whines but doesn’t pull away. “Yes, of course honeymoon tropical paradise sex is amazing. Definitely in the top five types of sex category, but we had to come home eventually.”

“Yeah,” he sighs against her skin and she shivers.

“You have the souvenirs, right?”

“Yup, we checked twice before we left the house.”

“And we are appropriately dressed as to help them feel a bit of the authenticity. Well, I am, at least.”

“Hey, this is bright, tropical colors plaid. It’s close enough.”

Leslie’s not convinced, but it’s too late now.

“Oh! Wait, here.” She pulls out the string of colored flowers. “It’s time for you to get leied.”

Ben waggles his eye brows and grins. “Oooo, yes please.”

“Silly, not what I meant.”

“Nope, don’t believe you. That was your favorite pun back on the island. It’s like a Pavlovian response now. Every time you say it I’m instantly horny.”

She arches an eyebrow. “Pavlovian response? Really?”

“Yup. You can’t deny it, babe. It’s science.”

Leslie hummed when Ben sucked on her pulse point. “Okay, we can drop off these souvenirs quickly then run home and–”

“Nope, can’t wait that long.” His fingers were already unbuttoning her blouse.

“Ben,” she hissed. “We can’t have sex in our car at City Hall.”

“Why not? We’re in a dark corner of the parking garage. No one can see us. If we can have sex on a public beach at midnight, we can do this.”

“But they’ll know once we go in. You have this adorable dazed, smiling face that you make after sex. It lasts for hours. They’ll know.”

He fingers didn’t stop and his lips kissed every new inch of skin. “Who cares? We’re newly weds. They should be assuming we’re having sex every spare second anyway.”

Leslie wants to say no. She should say no. They’re in a City Hall parking garage. But Ben’s hands are sliding into her open blouse and cupping her breasts and maybe he wasn’t the only one conditioned to want sex at that phrase. 

“Oh, fuck it,” Leslie says, ripping off her blouse and climbing into the back seat before struggling to take off her pants. “Get your ass back here so I can ride you like that mule that took us up the side of the volcano.”

Ben wears that after-sex smile for hours.


	55. Fingertip Kisses

He’s on his side staring at her. She’s propped up against the headboard with a binder on her lap, her hair askew and her (his) shirt rumpled and hanging off of her shoulders. Without thinking he takes her hand and threads their fingers.

Leslie looks over at him and smiles. “What?” 

“Do you know how much I love your hands? Your fingers? They just might be one of my favorite parts of you.”

She giggles and sets the binder down next to her. “Yeah? Why’s that?”

“They just do so much. These are the hands that fought to make Pawnee a better place. That built parks and wrote bills that turned into laws. The hands that love me and take care of our children.”

He pulls her hand towards him, barely brushing his lips over her thumb. “This finger right here? One thumbs up from you and I just know everything will be okay.”

His lips then move on to the next. “And oh, the power of your pointer finger. Grown men have cowered under this finger, but if they only knew one little ‘come hither’ from you, and I’m putty in your hands.”

He grins into the next kiss. “This one knows what it’s done to me on _many_  angry Leslie occasions. And, you know….others.”

He stops at her ring finger, his thumb rubbing her wedding band before bringing the tip to his lips. “There are still some days I can’t believe that you’re wearing my ring. Days when I stare at this finger and remember every detail of the moment that I slid this on here and made you mine forever.”

He hears her sniffle when he kisses the last one. “Now, this might be the most important one of all,” he says as he links his pinky with hers. “Do you remember after our kiss at the Smallest Park? What you said to me that night?”

Her voice is low and raspy. “Pinky promise we’ll be together forever.” 

He nods and kisses her palm before bringing it to his cheek, the fingers he just kissed curling against his skin. “Forever.”

And it was only just beginning.


	56. Nose Kisses

Wesley giggles as Leslie hoists him above her head. She brings him down just enough to rub her nose against his before he’s off flying again.

“Yes, you love when Mommy makes you fly, don’t you?” she coos, rubbing her nose against his tiny one again. “Pretty soon you’re going to be too big for me to do this, you know.”

She’s smiling up at him again when she hears the shuffle of Ben’s feet down the stairs and his arm slips around her waist.

“The other two are down for the count. It’s just this little troublemaker that doesn’t seem to be sleepy.” He tugs on Wesley’s foot with a smile. “What? Is Mommy making you fly again?”

He shrieks again, reaching out for his father’s face while Ben pretends to eat his fingers. 

“I think all of this excitement though should tire him out,” Leslie says. She settles him on her hip and presses quick kisses all over his face, ending with a big, loud one on his nose. His favorite.

“Hey,” Ben whines, sounding more childish than the infant currently in her arms. “Where’s mine?”

Leslie sighs and with a dramatic eye roll, plants a wet, sloppy kiss on the end of her husband’s significantly larger nose. “You happy, you big baby?”

He nods with a wide smile. “Yup. I can see why you like it so much, Wes. Your Mommy is one heck of a kisser.”

“Oh, you just wait,” Leslie tells him as their son’s eyes droop and his head falls on her shoulder. “As soon as I put this one down, I’ll show you what these lips can do.”

She’s halfway up the stairs before Ben comes to his senses and sprints after her. 


	57. Hipbone Kisses

The kisses are hard and fast and desperate. Clothes are flying across the room with no care as to where they land. And when she’s naked beneath him, he can’t stop staring.

Five hours is too long to be apart from Leslie, let alone five weeks. 

Long distance is hard. No matter how happy he is in his job, how great it is to be doing something he loves, he doesn’t have this to come home to, and it sucks.

But now, _now,_  she’s here and he doesn’t plan on them leaving his bed for at least the next twenty-four hours.

He kisses his way down her body, her nails scraping his scalp telling him what to do. Goosebumps rise up on her skin as his lips trail down her stomach, but he stops at her hip.

He kisses her there, taking a deep breath before resting his forehead just above the bone. She twists her body and tugs on his hair because he’s just so close to her, but he doesn’t move.

“Ben, please.” Leslie whispers and it’s almost enough, but he’s missed her too much.

“Babe, just give me a minute. Please. It’s so perfect right here. I’m far enough away but just close enough. I can smell you and your _here_  and I just need this.”

Her grip loosens and her hand his soft and slow as brushes back his hair. She needs this, too.

He lifts his head, whispering “I love you” before nuzzling between her legs. Her thighs clench around his head as he tastes her, covering his ears, and all he can hear is he sound of his own heart beating.

She’s here.


	58. Bellybutton Kisses

“No, I’m not gonna tell you,” Ben’s voice teases, and Leslie smiles.

She loves this, the bubble they have now. The bubble is not caring that it’s already after seven on a Saturday morning and she’s still in bed. The bubble is waking up to Ben drooling on her pillow and scrunching his nose when he wakes up. 

The bubble is having a very naked boyfriend stretched out while he refuses to tell her where he’s ticklish.

“I’m gonna find out eventually, you know,” she says, her tongue poking between her teeth. 

“I won’t go down without a fight.”

“How noble of you.” Her hand glides down his chest, circling his bellybutton and going back up again. “I should probably just go right for your sides. That’s the most likely place anyway right?”

Her hands rest just under his ribs and he grabs them with panicked eyes. “Please, don’t. Please, okay, I’m weak. I admit that I’m ticklish. Please don’t tickle me.”

“You’re very polite when you’re panicked, and because you said the magic word three times, I will grant you mercy.”

He heaves a sigh. “Thank you.”

She slides down his legs, her mouth hovering where her hands just were. “How about I just kiss you instead?” Her lips touch his bellybutton, tongue flicking.

“Mmm, yeah. Yeah, I like that idea more. Let’s go with that.”

When they finally stumble out of bed at eight thirty to shower, Leslie still doesn’t care what time it is. 


	59. Collarbone Kisses

She tastes sweet, like the fresh Hawaiian fruit they had with breakfast. But she’s salty, too, from her swim in the water and sweat from being under the hot sun.

She’s beautiful with the hibiscus tucked behind her ear and wearing nothing but the lei around her neck. The string of orchids give off their own unique fragrance that mixed with Leslie make the best perfume.

He peppers kisses across her neck and then the top of her chest, from one flower to another. 

“I love you,” he whispers so softly that it’s carried away by the wind from their open window, but he knows she heard him. She tugs gently on his hair, lifting his mouth from her chest back up to her lips.

“I love you, too.”

The words are barely more than movements of lips, but he feels them, tastes them, knows them to be the only real thing he can rely on in this world.

He’s drawn back down to her collarbone, kissing just where he knows her heart to be. The one that he’ll hear thumping against his ear when he goes to bed that night. The one, that according to myth, is connected to the ring on her finger.

The heart tied to his for the rest of their lives


	60. The Midnight Oil

She hears him before she can see him, his slippers shuffling across the floor because he’s too lazy to lift his feet.

“Babe, it’s late. What are you still doing up?” Ben asks. His hand rests lightly on the top of her head, and yup, he’s barely conscious. She’s 90% sure his eyes aren’t even open.

“I know, but I’ve got to write this stupid apology speech about the stupid piemary and whatever else they’re using to make you look bad. Also, me being up this late meant that I spared you from Stephen waking you up five times to ask for water, so you’re welcome.”

He plops down next to her and rests his head on her shoulder. She wouldn’t be surprised if he started drooling on her.

“This whole thing is stupid. Just say whatever. I don’t care. I’m sure what you have is fine. How long is it?”

“Uhm….eleven pages.”

Ben inhales sharply and coughs while he shakes his head. “Nooooooo. Too long.”

“I’ve been trying to edit it down. That’s what’s been taking so long, but I don’t know what to get rid of”  

He turns so that his mouth is pressed against the fabric of her top and muffles his voice. “How many times to you talk about my butt?”

“What?! Ben, this is an apology speech for your very important congressional campaign and-”

“How many?”

She sighs. “Okay, only like half a dozen or so, but it makes sense in context.”

“Nope. Take ‘em out.”

“But-”

“Nope. Out. And while we’re on the subject, take out anything else that refers to my physical features. Including but not limited to my hair, mouth, hands, and calves.”

She mumbles to herself as she goes through the speech again. “I don’t know how I’m supposed to endear you to that crowd without pointing out your best physical features. You know that’s basically all the voters care about, right?”

“Sweetheart, I love you, and I appreciate what you’re trying to do, but this whole thing is ridiculous. Just apologize and be done with it. At this point I don’t care about their votes, anyway. All I want is to go to sleep and bring you with me.”

“Fine. And I guess you were right. That cut the speech nearly in half. I think I have something to work with now.”

He yawns and rubs his nose on her cheek. “So, you coming?”

She giggles, kissing the end of his adorable, sleepy nose. “Yes, I’m coming.”

“Good.” He stands up and tugs on her hands until she’s following him to their bedroom.

“But I hope you know that next time Stephen gets up asking for water, it’s on you.”

“Crap.”


	61. Branded

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She leaves scratches down his back, but she knows he won’t care. Just like she doesn’t care that Ben’s gripping her hips so hard, they’re going to be sore and bruised in the morning.
> 
> But it’ll be a good sore, a good bruised. The best kind. The kind that she’s been missing for far too many months.

They barely make it through her front door before he’s attacking her clothes, ripping off her red coat and tossing it on top of one of her newspaper piles.

During their breakup, Leslie had imagined this so many times, their first time back together being slow and romantic. But now that it’s happening, she just _needs_  Ben. 

She needs to feel him hot and hard in her mouth, needs to feel his tongue driving her crazy, needs him to fuck the emptiness out of her.

Because this is for real, now, and she doesn’t ever want to feel that emptiness again.

He slides her pants and underwear down her legs before she can even pull her top off, and she hisses into his mouth when she’s pressed against the cold wood of the door.

He shoves his hand down her panties just as she’s trying to undo his belt, and he moans. He can _feel_  how much she’s missed him, how much she needs him.

She forgets how to control her hands when he curls a finger inside of her, then another.

But as amazing as it feels, she know’s what she wants more. And Leslie Knope always gets what she wants.

She pulls her lips back and nudges Ben’s hand away, and the way he pouts is just so damn adorable. God, she’s missed his face.

With her sexiest smile, she drops to her knees, finishing the job she started on his belt. Ben kicks off his shoes and steps out of his slacks and boxers so fast, it’d be funny if she wasn’t so turned on.

His dick is even more amazing than she remembered, perfect and just _waiting_  for her.

“Oh, fuck.” His whole body shakes at her first touch, his hand going out to steady himself on the door.

Jesus, her boyfriend has the world’s most perfect penis.

She tightened her fist and he grunted again. “Jesus, fuck, babe. God, I’ve missed you so much. I can’t wait to fuck that pretty little mouth of yours.”

She looks up at him as she takes her first taste, licking him from base to tip in one, long stroke.

“You know exactly what you’re doing aren’t you,” he says, biting his lip, and she giggles because yes, she definitely knows what she’s doing.

Her lips wrap around him and she wonders how on earth she went so long without this. How she was able to not sneak into his room in the middle of the night and suck him off because this was absolute heaven. The salty tang mixed with his expletive laced moans.

“Fuck, Leslie, you’re so fucking amazing. Jesus Christ. You love sucking me off, don’t you?”

She can only nod as he hits the back of her throat, and far too soon, his hands are in her hair pulling her away.

She’s pressed back up against the door, and his tongue is in her mouth again getting reacquainted with her own.

He reaches around and unhooks her bra, sliding it down her shoulders before his mouth trails down her neck to her breasts.

His hair’s a little longer now than it was the last time they did this, and she tangles her fingers in it, holding his head to her.

Every bite on her nipple sends an electric current straight to her pussy, drenching her underwear. When she can’t wait any longer, she pushes his head lower and lower, and she can feel him smile against the skin of her belly.

“I love how impatient you get when you want me to go down on you.”

“Then you should shut up and do it.”

He chuckles against her inner thigh, taking a deep breath through the crotch of her panties.

“God, you smell so good. Do you know how many times I’ve jerked off remembering how you smell? How you taste?”

“I might have an idea.”

The thin cotton slides down her legs, and Ben’s hands cup her ass and squeeze, pulling her to his face.

She’s not sure who moans louder when his tongue finally licks between her lips. Her eyes roll back into her head when he sucks on her clit.

When he pulls her leg over his shoulder, she reaches for his hair, the wall, _anything_  to steady herself as her body tenses from the pleasure.

How on earth is he so good at this? She mentally thanks every woman that ever taught him anything on the fine art of cunnilingus, because she is most certainly reaping the benefits. 

Her back arches off of the door and fireworks burst behind her eyes when she cums, endless strings of curses mixed in with Ben’s name leaving her mouth.

She’s only vaguely aware of being back on two legs, Ben and the door still supporting most of her body weight.

His kisses taste like her now, and she loves it. Loves how much he loves it.

“Ben, I need you to fuck me right now.”

He hums and goes to position himself, but she stops him.

“Wait, uhm, I’m still on the pill and, you know, good, but, uhm, do we….”

She trails off because it’s too painful to think about, but he just peppers her face in kisses.

“No, no, no, no. There hasn’t been anyone else since you. There won’t be anyone except for you. Ever.”

She tries not to cry because she’s so happy. Because he could have had anyone else in the entire world, but he didn’t. It was technically all her fault, and he was under no obligation to be faithful to her, but he was, and she loves him for it.

Holy shit, she loves him.

She doesn’t scream it out when he slides into her and she feels complete for the first time in forever, no matter how much she wants to. The feelings are too new, too raw for right now.

But they’re there, tucked away in her heart. 

He pulls her leg over his hip and fucks her, fucks the emptiness and loneliness and irrational jealously out of her. She’s consumed by him.

She leaves scratches down his back, but she knows he won’t care. Just like she doesn’t care that Ben’s gripping her hips so hard, they’re going to be sore and bruised in the morning.

But it’ll be a good sore, a good bruised. The best kind. The kind that she’s been missing for far too many months.

They are each other’s marks, brands that no one else will see, but they know are there. 

He pants against her lips, rolls and pinches her nipple between his fingers, all of the things he knows will help drive her over the edge.

“I want to see you cum again. I want to feel you cum all over my cock.”

He’s getting desperate, she can tell, so she slides her hand between their bodies and rubs at her clit.

“Jesus, baby. Fuck yes. So hot when you touch yourself.”

She begs him to make her cum, to make her feel weightless and forget everything except for them. Make her forget her campaign, forget Chris and his stupid rules, forget what’s going to happen once everyone finds out.

None of it matters now. 

And then it happens again, the explosion that starts at her core and shoots out to every single nerve in her body.

She expects his soon after, but it doesn’t come. He stops moving as she comes down, kissing that spot behind her ear.

“You’re so beautiful,” he whispers, and his fingers ghost over her cheek like she’s nothing but vapors that could disappear at any minute. But she’s not. She’s real and won’t ever let him go again.

She wraps her arms around his back and pulls him close, moving her hips in time with his again.

It doesn’t take long after that. He cums, warm and deep inside of her as she tells him how much she missed him, how miserable she was without him, how important he is to her.

Because he’s everything, and she wishes it didn’t take months for her to realize it.

She told him once that he was worth the risk, and he still is, will always be.

He presses his forehead against hers, their noses brushing as he slips out of her. She welcomes the slickness coating her thighs.

“Never again,” he says. “Never, ever again.”

And despite everything, every logical, rational voice that tells her what it could cost to go public, she believes him.

Because she never wants to be without him again.  


	62. Enough

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fic prompt: Leslie has always been the one who loves more, and often a bit too much, in almost every single relationship in her life [even the ones where people love her back] But after Ben resigns for her and Leslie realizes just how long he's been in love with her, even when they were broken up and fighting, she doesn't know how to feel when she thinks someone might actually love her even more than she loves them for the first time in so long, if not ever.

Leslie’s always been a lover not a fighter. That doesn’t mean she won’t fight for what she believes in, because she will. She’ll kick ass, but she’d choose love if she could every single time.

And she knows she can sometimes love a little too much, a little too strongly, and people aren’t used to that. She forgets sometimes, and more than once she’s had her love thrown right back in her face.

She loves her family, loves her coworkers who have become family. She loves her town and waffles and Ann. She _really_  loves Ann.

And as she feels Ben’s breath on her neck, his arm tightening around her waist in his sleep, she just knows that she loves him, too.

It shouldn’t have taken her this long to figure it out. She should have known she loved him back when she almost didn’t let him break up with her even though it would kill her campaign. She should have known during those sleepless nights when all she wanted to do was sneak into his window and never let him leave her sight again.

She should have known just hours ago when she met him in that tiny park and told him he was worth more to her than anything.

But she didn’t. 

It hits her right now as she feels his skin against hers for the first time in far too long, as she listens to him mumble in his sleep.

But that’s not what scares her. Loving Ben feels like the most natural thing in the universe. No, what scares her is that for the first time, she might not be the one that loves the hardest. 

It’s not a competition, she knows that …but maybe it kind of is? At least, that’s how it’s always been. But not now.

He hasn’t told her, a few hours after you’ve been reunited in a whirlwind of kissing and great reunion sex isn’t the best time, but she knows he does.

He wouldn’t be here with her, risking so much if he didn’t.

* * *

The fear is back and stronger now than it ever was.

And he knows something is worrying her, and he does his best to soothe her, to take her mind off of things–which he’s _really_  great at– but all it does is make it worse.

He resigned for her.

He gave up everything because he loved her. He declared his love for her on public record. No one has done that for her, and she’s not sure she’d be able to no matter how much she loved someone.

She hates that feeling. And she hates that she hates it. She should be ecstatic, head over heels, but there’s still that _little_  piece of her that doesn’t know what to do.

Will he end up regretting it? Is his love like an explosion, so powerful and passionate, but over far too quickly?

Will she end up hurting him again?

What’s worse is that for the first time, she’s not sure if she deserves it, if she can live up to the pressure of what his love entails.

Damn, is this how the people she’s ever loved feel?

Granted, she’ll always be the more demonstrative of the two. She’ll be the one making heart-shaped love cookies and giving him ‘just because I love you’ presents and setting up love holidays. But his love has always been more subtle, even before it was real love. It’s helping with the Harvest Festival even though he didn’t have to. It’s moving to Pawnee and risking his job. It’s breaking up with her so she wouldn’t have to, it’s giving her a campaign button and putting up with her at a Model UN meeting.

It’s giving up his job.

She sniffs, and turns so that she can press her nose just above his heart. 

His heart. 

He thinks he’s so logical and rational, but Leslie knows better. He’s let his heart take the lead more times than he’d ever admit, and she loves that about him. 

She just hope she can keep up.

“You’re thinking too loudly,” he rasps, his chest vibrating beneath her nose.

“Sorry. Got a lot on my mind right now.”

He squeezes her waist, dropping a kiss to the top of her head. “I get that, but it’ll be okay. And whatever happens, we’ll get through together, right?”

“Yeah.”

“I love you, okay? Don’t ever forget that. No matter what, we love each other and that’s enough.”

He was talking about her campaign and the backlash from their trial, not what she is actually afraid of, but it still applies.

It doesn’t matter who does what to ‘prove it’.  He loves her and she loves him.

And it’s enough.


	63. Number One Constituent

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fic prompt: Leslie does something amazing in her campaign for Governor of Indiana, reminding Ben for the millionth billionth time how much he loves her. (Basically I love stories about them being each other's biggest political supporters.)

It was the greatest feeling of déjà vu, standing off in the wings as Leslie spoke on stage. 

But this wasn’t a little auditorium in Pawnee, Indiana. This wasn’t a small town election.

No, his wife was running for governor, and she was kicking _ass_  in this debate.

This feeling never got old, the total pride and adoration and love filling his chest at the sight of her behind that podium.

And it was even better this time around. 

She wasn’t the underdog fighting her way to the top. She wasn’t trying to overcome a scandal with her former boss, wasn’t lost in the shadow of someone like Bobby Newport.

But she was still the same Leslie Knope, passionate and filled with love for her home.

He watched her try to hide her smile whenever the audience applauded one of her answers, but thankfully, he didn’t have to. He smiled broadly, clapping as she looked over at him from the corner of her eye. 

Sometimes, when their eyes would lock, she couldn’t stop the grin even if she wanted to.

He loved those moments.

The best part, though, was no matter how good she got at hiding her smile, her eyes said it all. Fierce and determined when she made a rebuttal, wide and excited when the crowd cheered for her.

This was where she belonged, and he loved that she was being given the chance.

Her poll numbers were phenomenal, and she didn’t want to jinx herself, but Ben knew better. She had this in the bag, and tonight was only cementing her imminent victory. 

He was in awe of her now just as much as he had been almost 15 years ago, maybe even moreso. The woman that he loved, his wife, the mother of his children, was following her dream, and she wanted him by her side every step of the way.

Ben held his tablet close to his chest, mouthing along as she gave her closing remarks.

His heart burst again when she was through, the audience clapping and cheering all for her.

She was barely backstage before their arms were around each other and he’s kissed her with all that he had.

“Did I do okay?”

“Babe, you were amazing. That was–that was the greatest thing that I think I have ever seen. I’m so proud of you.”

She sighed in relief and buried her face in his chest. “Thank you. I felt so alive out there. And did you hear that crowd?!”

“I did, and you deserve every bit of it. You kicked ass out there.”

“Only because I have the sexiest, most amazing campaign manager/Congressman husband in the universe.”

He laughed. “I think you would have done just fine without me, but I’ll take the praise.”

“Do you think the kids were watching at home?”

“Do you think Marlene would let them watch anything else? And they’re eleven, so they might not be all that interested in the politics, but I’m sure they are so proud of you. We can call them when we get back to the hotel.”

Leslie closed her eyes and sighed. “Mmmmm. Booking a room for the night instead of driving back to Pawnee. See, that’s why you’re the gorgeous man-genius of a campaign manager. You think of all the good stuff.”

“I’m selfish, is what I am. You think after an amazing debate like _that_ , I’m not gonna want to take you somewhere and have my way with you as soon as possible?”

“Why, Congressman Wyatt, are you coming onto me?”

He kissed her ear. “Future-Governor Knope, I believe I am.”

Leslie grabbed his hand and pulled.


	64. I Want To Believe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben and Leslie discuss the X Files

“I can’t believe _now_ you want to watch this show,” Ben says, and Leslie snorts. 

“You’re complaining?”

“It’s just that I’ve been wanting to watch this with you for _years_  but it’s not until Sonia raves about it that you do.”

“No offense, babe,” she says kissing his cheek, “but sometimes I don’t trust your judgement. Sonia assured me that you weren’t exaggerating.”

“Good to know that you trust your 13-year-old daughter’s opinion more than mine.”

“Are you going to stop complaining long enough for me to actually watch it? Now, Mulder’s the tall one that believes in the paranormal stuff, right? And Scully is the kickass medical doctor and feminist hero–Sonia’s words, not mine.”

“Yeah. And she’s a skeptic. Doesn’t believe in anything that can’t be proven by science.”

“So they butt heads a lot, I’m assuming.”

“Yeah, but’s it’s good. They balance each other out.”

“And their in love? Sonia says they’re totally in love.”

Ben grimaces. “It’s a long and complicated story. One that doesn’t make sense half the time and I’d be spoiling too much just going into it with you.”

“I don’t like that answer.”

Trust me, neither do I. But just keep watching and soon enough you’ll have your own thoughts.”

“Is it bad that I’m already thinking of roleplay scenarios for us now.”

Ben squirms in his seat. “Nope, not at all.”


	65. A Cranky Buttface

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Okay, I need to prompt you for the tale of the "sorry I was a cranky buttface" cake and the time that Leslie and Ben each made it for one another ;-)

A cranky buttface.

That’s what she called him, and that’s what he was. A mean, cranky buttface that got angry and frustrated at _everything_  and took it out on the one person he shouldn’t have.

To be fair, tensions were high for the both of them. Running Leslie’s campaign was stressful and he would never be as good as Jen Barkley. He was feeling anxious and worthless and instead of just talking to Leslie about everything, he closed himself off, responding to her in curt, one word answers. 

You know, like a jerk.

It wasn’t until she suggested that maybe they take a break that he snapped, and while he immediately regretted it, it was too late. He could see the hurt in Leslie’s eyes as she scrunched her face, calling him a cranky buttface and telling him that she was going home and he better not even try to talk to her for the rest of the night.

So yeah, he _was_  a cranky buttface, but she loved him anyway–which was something he’d never understand. But he was hoping this would make it up to her.

He stayed up most of the night working on it, ignoring April’s angry yelling for him to be quiet or Andy trying to sneak out and eat the frosting.

The decorating was hard, but he’d seen Leslie do it enough times to have a decent first attempt. He just hoped she’d forgive him.

He was tired and in sweats and a t-shirt when he knocked on her door at five the next morning. 

She opened it slowly, already dressed and ready for the day.

“I’m so sorry,” he said before anything else. “I’m so sorry I lashed out at you like that and it’s all my fault. You did nothing wrong. I was frustrated at me and all that I could be doing better and I’m sorry.” 

She eyed the box in his hand. “What’s that?”

“Oh,” he looked down at the box then held it out to her with a pleading smile. “An ‘I’m sorry’ present. I made it myself.”

She was still angry–as well she should be– but he saw her soften just a little. “Okay, you can come in and grovel. But _only_ because I want my present.”

Ben closed the door behind him and followed Leslie to her couch. He didn’t let go of the box yet, though. He wanted to make sure she knew how much of an ass he was before she got distracted by the cake.

If she started even _thinking_ about cake, she wouldn’t think of anything else until she had it.

“Can I have my present now?”

“Not yet. I just–Leslie, I just wanted to really day that I’m sorry for being–”

“A cranky buttface. That’s what you were. A cranky buttface that got angry at me for no reason.”

Yeah, she was still pissed.

“Yes, exactly. A cranky buttface that had no right to snap at you. It’s not an excuse, but I’ve just been so frustrated at _me_  lately that I took it out on you even though you’ve been nothing but wonderful and amazing and perfect. I just get so upset at myself because you deserve someone so much better than me running your campaign and–”

Ben stopped when Leslie grabbed his face and pulled him to her lips. “God, would you just shut up. It doesn’t matter what you think I deserve or not. I _want_  you running my campaign. And you’re doing an amazing job. I get that it’s frustrating and that makes being in a relationship hard, but just talk to me, okay? I want you by my side through all of this, but I don’t want it getting between us either. Deal?”

Ben was still in somewhat of a kiss-induced daze, and he nodded slowly. Seriously, what did he do to deserve her?

She smiled and kissed his cheek. “Good. I forgive you. Can I have my present now?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah.” He handed her the box and she lifted the lid.

“Oh my God!” she said before cackling. “This is amazing. And your piping work is really great.”

“Thanks. It took a long time to get the letters even and Andy kept trying to eat my frosting, but I learned from watching you.”

She set the cake down on the coffee table and practically crawled into his lap for a hug. “This is an amazing apology cake. I love it almost as much as I love you.”

Ben held her close and buried his nose in her hair. “I love you, too. So much. Please remember that the next time I inevitably act like a cranky buttface. It’s bound to happen again. I think it runs in my family.”

“Well, if you continue to apologize with cake, I think we’ll be okay.” She took the box in her hands and started walking towards the stairs. “Come on. I want apology cake for breakfast.”

“Oh, then why are you going up– _oh.”_

She giggled. “Get your adorable little butt over here. This cake isn’t the only thing I’m hungry for.”

The cake wasn’t all that bad, but definitely tasted much better with Leslie as his plate.

~~~~~ 

Leslie sat curled at the end of Ben’s ridiculously amazing couch in his ridiculously amazing DC apartment feeling anything but ridiculously amazing.

You know who was ridiculously amazing? Ben and all of those gorgeous women in power suits at that fancy party.

Her phone kept buzzing. She knew it was Ben, but she ignored it. 

So yeah, she lied to Ben. She _was_  cranky, and anyone else would be in her position, right? Who likes having their own mediocrity thrown so blatantly in their face? Who likes watching all of these powerful women practically throw themselves at _her_  boyfriend?

She had never felt so worthless and small in her entire life. 

Was taking it out on Ben fair? Probably not. Leslie was proud of him, she really was, but she was also more than a little jealous. This was the life that _she_ wanted. She wanted to have famous friends and just be important.

Instead, she got meetings cancelled and had to throw her proposal in a pile like it was garbage.

And Pawnee, Missouri? Really?

She huffed again as her phone vibrated on the table and she finally answered it, if only to make sure Ben didn’t try to come over and find her himself. She wasn’t ready to face him yet.

“Yeah?”

“Babe? Oh thank God,” Ben’s panicked voice said through the speaker. She almost felt bad for ignoring him.

 _Almost_.

“It’s okay, I’m here. What’s up?”

“What’s up? Are you serious? You leave the party upset and then ignore my calls? I was worried about you. I thought something happened to you. You scared me to death. That’s what’s up.”

“I’m fine. I’m at your apartment.”

Ok, so she was kind of being a jerk with the curt answers, but she had feelings too, damn it, and if she wanted to wallow in self-pity, she was going to.

“Leslie, please, if something’s bothering you or if I did anything, just tell me. You’re only here for a few days and I don’t want anything to come between our time together. I know I’ve been working a lot but I can cancel–”

“No, it’s fine. Don’t–don’t cancel anything. Your work is important and I get that. Trust me. I guess I just got a little overwhelmed and jet lagged or something.”

He didn’t mention that Pawnee and DC are in the same time zone, so thank god for small favors.

“Are you sure? You know that if anything’s bothering you, anything in the world, you can tell me, right? Even if it’s me.”

She sighed. “Yeah, I know.”

“Okay. I’ll see you later. I love you so much.”

Great, now she wanted to cry. She sniffed and said “I love you” back and hung up before she burst into tears right there on the phone.

God, she hated feeling like this, and worse, she hated taking it all out on Ben. She was being insensitive and well, a cranky buttface, to use her own terminology. 

A selfish, cranky buttface that was making Ben worry about her instead of his campaign. 

Leslie stood up with a huff and was suddenly very grateful for the grocery store on the end of Ben’s block.

It didn’t take long–at least not as long as it took Ben when he did it. She was a seasoned baking veteran, after all. 

Leslie was licking the last bits of frosting from her finger when she heard Ben’s keys jingle and his door open.

“Babe?”

“In the kitchen.”

He turned the corner and froze as Leslie stood there with the cake in her hands and an apologetic smile on her face.

“Surprise?”

Ben shook his head slowly and walked over to her. “What’s this for?”

“To say I’m sorry. I actually took a page out of your book this time.”

“So you _were_  cranky. I knew it.”

“Yeah, I was, but it’s fine. I was just a little overwhelmed and tired, but I shouldn’t have taken it out on you. You’re still the most amazing, wonderful boyfriend in the universe.”

Ben took the cake from her hands and set it on the counter, wrapping his arms around. “Are you sure that’s it? There isn’t anything you want to talk about?”

She didn’t want to lie to him, but she didn’t want to bother him with her problems, either. He was right. They didn’t have that much time together, and she wasn’t going to waste another moment in DC feeling sorry for herself. There was plenty of time for that later.

“No, I’m fine. I just don’t want to waste anymore time. But I am sorry I was cranky. You’re amazing and wonderful and I love you so much.”

He smiled into their kiss. “I love you, and I feel like it’s tradition that we eat this in bed. Especially because this is the first time we’ve been alone since you got here and I’m about to explode.”

Leslie grabbed the cake and giggled as he pulled her into his bedroom.

They got frosting on his sheets, but Ben didn’t seem the least bit bothered. 


	66. Best Friends Day

Ben comes into their room after finally getting Stephen down for his nap to find Leslie duct taping seven cardboard boxes on the floor.

“Okay, I’ve missed something, haven’t I?”

“It’s Best Friends Day next week, but I’m turning it into a week long affair. I’m sending Ann one box of gifts every day for seven days to represent the seven years we’ve been friends.”

Any other person on the planet would be surprised, but not Ben. No, he finds it perfectly plausible that his wife would go the post office every day for a week to send gifts to her best friend in Michigan. He’s pretty sure the United States Postal Service noticed a significant financial surplus since Ann moved away. 

“Huh, and let me guess. There are seven gifts–”

“In each box. Yeah.”

“Right. And you’re gonna–”

“Need your help taking these to the post office? Yeah, they’re crazy heavy.” She bounds over to him and kisses his cheek. “Thank you! You’re the best husband ever, and as soon as you help me get these downstairs, I will show you how much I appreciate it.”

It seems like a fair trade.

~~~~~

Leslie and Ann’s usual phone conversation lasts longer than normal, but Ben expects that on today of all days. He knows how hard it’s been for Leslie to have Ann so far, and although she’s gotten progressively better at handling it, it’s always harder on days like today.

“Oh my God, Ann, I’m so excited. I can’t wait to see it. Yes, okay, I love you, too and Happy Best Friends Day. Give my love to Chris, Oliver, and Little Leslie. ‘Kay, bye.”

Leslie slumps next to him on the couch and he immediately wraps an arm around her shoulder. 

“How’s she doing? Things good?”

“Yeah, things are good. She loved all of her gifts and said that mine won’t actually come for a while, but she’s have a courier deliver the receipt soon so I can prepare. Whatever that means.”

“Huh, you think Ann might finally out gift you this year?”

Leslie scoffs. “Not likely. I _am_  the queen, remember? But either way. I’ll love it because it’s something from Ann for Best Friends Day. Speaking of which...”

Ben watches as Leslie runs to the closet and pulls out a small box. 

“What’s that? Oh, did you forget one? I think the post office is closed now, so we can drop it off tomorrow.”

“No, silly,” she says walking over to hand it to him. “This is for you. Ann may be my best friend in the entire universe, but you’re my best friend, too. My best friend that watches C-Span with me while we make out a lot and chose to spend my life with and start a family.”

Ben takes the box with a smile. “Aw, sweetheart, thank you. I don’t--”

The doorbell cuts him off and Leslie sprints to answer. “That’s Ann’s gift!” She signs for the envelope and rips it open before the door even closes behind her. “Oh, my God. Oh my God!”

“Babe, you okay? What--”

“It’s a receipt for airline tickets! Ann is coming to visit next month! Ann’s coming! God, I need to start planning. There’s so much to do before they get here. I have to go start a binder.”

She sprints up the stairs before he has a chance to say anything, and Ben sits back against the couch with a smile. He fingers the box in his hands but doesn’t open it yet. It can wait.

He already has the best give he could have ever asked for.


	67. Overheard

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: things you said that i wasn’t meant to hear

“I just don’t know what to do, Ann.” 

 He should go. 

All he wanted to do was drop off some forms, and he should have left once he heard that Leslie wasn’t alone, but then–

“About Ben?”

He should definitely go now. But he doesn’t. 

“Yes.” 

It’s a choked response, one that makes his heart ache even though he’s doing everything in his power to distance himself from her.

“Oh, Leslie…”

“It’s just so terrible. I know he did the right think breaking up with me. I know that running for City Council is my dream and I can’t do that while dating him, but–” She sighs, and while he can’t see her, he knows she’s trying not to cry. “But I feel like a part of me is dying inside every day. And he just wants more and more distance. Which I get. I really do.” She laughs, but it’s cold and hollow. “It figures, you know. It figures that out of everyone on this planet, I fall in love with the _one_  that I can’t be with.”

He gasps, and he hopes they didn’t hear it. 

“Wait, _love?”_ Ann asks, and she sounds only a little less surprised than Ben feels.

“I think so.”

Yeah, those are tears, and it takes all of the self control he can muster to not run in there and wipe them away. Even though he’s the reason for them.

“I don’t know how else to describe it,” she continues. “I haven’t ever felt this before. Not even when Dave moved away. It’s like… like there’s this piece of me that is missing because he’s not here. And as much as this all means to me, it feels empty because he’s not here for me to share it with.” She sniffs. “I’m sorry. I probably sound so stupid, but–”

“No,” Ann says, and Ben hears a chair scrape against the floor. “It’s not stupid. Not at all. I’m just so sorry that you have to go through this. I know it won’t change anything, but we are going to hug this out for a solid fifteen minutes, okay?”

“Okay.”

Ben wipes his hand down his face, finally feeling like he’s able to control his legs again. 

And he leaves before he can do something stupid like go in there and tell her that he feels the same way.


	68. Things you said when you thought i was asleep

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things you said when you thought i was asleep

“Hi, you guys.”

His voice is low. Impossibly low. But it’s okay because what he’s saying isn’t meant for her ears anyway. No, it’s meant for the three little babies growing in her belly right now.

“Thank you for letting your mom get some sleep. She definitely knows now what it’s like to deal with someone that has her sleep schedule. Or, well, several someones. But she’s tired and needs her sleep. Helping you guys grow is hard work.”

She wants to open her eyes, but she can’t bring herself to do it. So she imagines it all instead. Imagines his lips hovering over the bump in the sheets, imagines the hand she feels softly stroking her there. 

“I can’t wait to finally meet you. Your room’s all ready and your Uncle Ron built you the best crib ever. And as much as your mommy loves you, she’s ready to love you _outside_  of her tummy.

“But you’re already so lucky to have her. She’s the best mom in the entire world, and she’s going to help me be the best dad that I can. She’s the greatest thing that ever happened to me, and now she’s giving me you. How did we get so lucky, right?”

Leslie feels a kick right where Ben’s palm is resting, like one of the triplets–she swears it’s Sonia– is reaching out towards their father’s voice. They can’t wait to meet him, either.

“Okay.” He presses his lips to that same spot. “Try to get some, sleep, okay? I love you.”

He lies down next to her, Leslie pretending to still be sleeping when she rolls to be closer to him.

She can’t wait to tell him how lucky they are to have him, too. 


	69. Blanket Fort Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dialogue prompt: “Looks like we’ll be trapped for a while…"

Today was a blanket fort day.

To be fair, if it were up to the triplets, everyday would be a blanket fort day, but today was special. 

The couches were brought closer together and almost every blanket in the house was draped over the dining room chairs to create the perfect oasis in their living room. And on a cold, dreary day like today, nothing beat snuggling up with one another sipping hot chocolate in the fort. 

“This was fun,” Leslie whispered from her spot on Ben’s lap as they watched the triplets take much needed naps beside them.

“It was. I’m glad blanket forts are still a viable option to settle the kids down when they can’t go outside. We have to take advantage of that for a while.”

Leslie nodded, tilting her head to kiss along his jaw. “Yeah. So, how long do you think they’ll be out? Do you think we’ll have time to run upstairs and–”

“Yes,” Ben said. “Yes. Definitely. Let’s–” He moved to stand up but stopped himself when the blankets above him started to shake. “Uhm, babe, I think I have somehow become an integral part of the support system for this fort.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean that if I stand up, this whole thing will come toppling down.”

Leslie sighed and rested her head against Ben’s shoulder.  “Looks like we’ll be trapped for a while.”

“Yeah…unless we risk it? Do you think the kids will notice if a few dozen blankets fell on them during their nap?”

That earned Ben a giggle and a slap on the arm. “Ben! As much as I want to leave and squeeze in sex while our children nap, I don’t think it should be at the cost of traumatizing them with a collapsing fort.”

“Yeah, you’re right. But if we’re stuck here, we can at least make out, right?”

Leslie’s arms were already wrapped around his neck. “Oh, most definitely.”

Blanket forts really were the best.


	70. The All Nighter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dialogue prompt: “Do you…well…I mean…I could give you a massage?”

Leslie loved almost everything about all nighters. She loved the rush of adrenaline that came with a high priority project. Loved the urgency, the stacks of paperwork and binders, the endless supply of coffee and sugar. 

What she didn’t love was the pain in her neck and back that always seemed to show up around hour 6.

“Hey, are you doing okay?”

She looked up at Ben across her desk. “Uh, yeah, why do you ask?”

He jutted his chin towards her. “You’ve been rubbing your neck on and off for the past twenty minutes. I, uh, I know how much these all nighters can wreak havoc on your muscles.”

Oh, yeah, that’s the problem when your boss who was also working all night with you just so happened to be your ex-boyfriend. The ex-boyfriend that still cared about you and only broke up with you so you could follow your dream of becoming a City Councilwoman.

“I’m–I’m fine. You know how it gets sometimes.”

He was staring at her in a way that almost made her uncomfortable, but she couldn’t look away.  “Do you…well…I mean…I could give you a massage?” 

After the words were out of his mouth, it almost looked like he regretted them, but he didn’t take them back. He just sat there waiting for her answer.

And it should be no, right? It’s a very bad idea to be massaged by the man you still totally want to bone on a regular basis but said boning could get you fired. Especially when he gives the most _amazing_  neck and back rubs ever. And yes, those almost always lead to sex.

It can’t happen right now. Not after they have done so well. But she just can’t say no.

“That would actually be really great. I mean you don’t have to if you don’t want to–”

“Leslie, if I didn’t want to, I wouldn’t have offered. I know that once that pain is gone, you’ll be way more productive anyway, so consider this more as a benefit for the team.”

She nodded and moved her hair over one shoulder as Ben made his way around her desk.

Ben’s fingers were still magical, and on more than one occasion she had to bite back a very inappropriate moan.

Damn that sexy man. 

Yeah, this was definitely a huge mistake. Her body didn’t seem to get the memo that this massage was most definitely _not_  going to lead to sex, but it just felt so good. 

Little by little, she felt the tension easing its way out of her body.

“There you go,” Ben said quietly, and Leslie immediately missed his fingers once they were gone. “Feel better?”

“Yes.”

It’s all she could say at the moment without embarrassing herself. And her neck did feel better–a thousand times better– but now the rest of her was pulled as tight as a bowstring. 

“Good.”

He brushed her hair back behind her shoulders, and Leslie was just _so close_  to giving in. To not caring about the repercussions if their affair was made public.

But no, she had to be strong. _God,_  did she have to be strong.

“Uh, thanks,” she said when he sat back down across from her, once again thoroughly engrossed in the papers in front of him.

He looked up at her with those sad eyes he thought she couldn’t see. That small smile on his lips couldn’t hide what she saw in his eyes, the pain that he was trying to hard to mask.

She saw that look all to often in her own mirror.

“I’m just–I’m just glad I could help,” he said before looking back at his padfolio.

For the first time in the history of her career, Leslie felt like the rest of the night couldn’t go fast enough. 


	71. The End of My World

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dialogue Prompt: “I think I’m in love with you and I’m terrified."

“What?”

Leslie blinks because she must not have heard him right. No, he didn’t just say what she thinks he just said. Not at an abandoned gas station in the middle of the night.

Ben sighs and hangs his head. “I think I’m in love with you and I’m terrified. That’s why we can’t hang out anymore. That’s why being around you makes me feel like I’m dying a little inside each and every time. I’m terrified that I’ll never be able to get over you, and I have to. But I can’t do that if you keep trying to force us together.

“We broke up, and I know it was the right decision for you, but damn it, Leslie, it hurts, and every time you pretend that nothing’s changed, it hurts even more. It’s–” He pauses and God, Leslie wants to die now, too. “It’s just not fair to me.”

There are a million things running through Leslie’s mind, so many things she wants to say, but nothing comes out. She just stands there slack-jawed while that man that _loves_  her stares back. 

And she realizes that the reason she can’t let him move on is because she loves him, too.

“I should go,” he says, and Leslie wants to stop him. Wants to tell him that she loves him  and this whole breakup was stupid and all of her career successes would be worthless without him.

But she doesn’t. She just stands there and watches him walk away into the dark night.


	72. Meeting in the E.R/A&E au

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tumblr drabble prompt featuring Leslie as a candy striper that meets a patient who will change her life forever.

Leslie smoothed down the skirt of her candy striper uniform as she walked down the hospital hallway. She had been volunteering at the hospital for only a week so far, but she loved helping people and providing a friendly face to those that needed one. 

“Alright, Mr. Hickman,” Leslie said as she rounded the corner into the room with a card and potted plant in her hand “Here’s your-- oh.”

In the bed was certainly not Mr. Hickman. Not unless he somehow de-aged about fifty years and grew a head full of messy, brown hair.

“You’re not Mr. Hickman,” she said. 

“Nope. Sorry to disappoint,” the boy said with a smirk. “I’m Ben. They moved me here this morning.”

“Oh.”

She continued to stare at him, mesmerized by the way his lips quirked up in amusement and how his hair really just didn’t follow the laws of gravity.

“But, uhm, if you can’t find Mr. Hickman, I’ll gladly take the plant. This room could use some livening up.”

Leslie blinked and stared down at the pot in her hands. “Oh, huh, yeah. Sorry, but I’m sure he’s around here somewhere. His daughter has something sent to him every week. I think he’d notice if he didn’t get it.”

“Damn. Oh, well. Maybe tomorrow.”

Leslie found herself giggling and tucking her hair behind her ear. She didn’t really see too many people her age here, so this was...well, different. 

“I’ll keep my eyes open. Uhm, so, did they run out of rooms or something on the other wings? I mean this is oncology, so--”

The smile that was on Ben’s face slowly faded, and Leslie wished for a hole to open in the ground and swallow her whole. She looked at him-- _really_  looked, and saw the dark bags under his eyes, the way he was way too skinny for a teenage boy. Even his hair had some patches where it was starting to thin.

“Oh, God, I’m so sorry. It’s just--”

“There aren’t too many people my age around here. No, I get it. It’s okay. I’ve gotten used to it. But you’re new, right? I know pretty much all of the regulars around here.”

Leslie set the pot on the side table and took a few steps closer. “Uhm, yeah, I’m Leslie. Leslie Knope. I just started volunteering here a week ago.”

The smile was back on Ben’s face, and honestly, Leslie didn’t remember a smile ever looking that amazing. He held out his hand, which felt clammy when she shook it.

She didn’t care, though.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Leslie. The doctors told me I’ll be here for a while this time. Does that mean your going to be around to keep me company some times?”

Ben didn’t let go of her hand right away, and Leslie didn’t want him to, either. 

“Yeah, I will be. I mean--if you want.”

“Oh, I definitely want. I’m looking forward to it actually.”

Leslie really was, too. 


	73. Two miserable people meeting at a wedding AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Being at the wedding of your ex maybe isn't the worst thing in the world.

Ben stood next to the bar nursing his beer. He had lost count how many he’d had, but if the bride and groom paid for an open bar, he was damn well going to take advantage of it.

He watched the dance floor from his place at the corner, trying to swallow down the bitterness that kept rising up from his stomach. He was the one that said he was going to come, after all.

He moved to the side to let a small, blonde woman through. She looked almost as miserable as he did, and when she ordered two shots and downed them herself, Ben thought that maybe he’d found a kindred spirit.

“Bride or groom?” he said as he moved to stand beside her.

She jumped a little before turning to him, her eyes only a little unfocused. “Uhm, groom I guess? We used to date until he broke up with me before a romantic picnic. To be fair, the picnic wasn’t for me, anyway. He told me to leave before Rebecca showed up. At least now I finally got to meet Rebecca. Oh, sorry, I don’t mean to sound so bitter about your friends.”

“Oh, they aren’t my friends,” Ben said quickly. “I’m technically on the bride’s side. We were engaged, but then she broke up with me.”

“That sucks. At least I feel a bit better about the fact that they apparently made a thing about inviting their exes.”

“Yeah, it’s kind of a dick move.”

“True, but we still came, right?”

“Guess I couldn’t turn down free food and an open bar.”

Another drink appeared in front of her and she downed it just as quickly as the last two. “I hear you there. I’m Leslie, by the way.”

“Ben.”

She smiled up at him and Ben really noticed just how pretty she was. Like, _really_  pretty. 

“So, Leslie, you want to see if we can actually enjoy ourselves tonight and get really drunk and dance?”

Leslie leaned back against the bar and smiled. “You know what, Ben? That sounds like the best idea I’ve ever heard.”

When Leslie wrapped her arm around his wrist and pulled him onto the dance floor, Ben thought that maybe Rebecca inviting him to this thing wasn’t all that bad after all. 


	74. Meeting on a train ride au

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leslie Knope goes on a journey on a journey of self discovery, but meets someone along the way

Leslie whooped in triumph as she nabbed one of the few remaining window seats. 

The train ride from Indianapolis to New York was going to be a long one, so she figured she might as well get a great view along the way. Sure, a plane ride would have been faster for her whirlwind, post-breakup journey of self-discovery, but she was still a college student on a budget. 

Just as the whistle blew and the conductor was making the last call to board, a frazzled looking young man appeared beside her. 

“Hi, sorry, is this seat taken?”

“Oh, no, go right ahead.”

He smiled gratefully and sat down, stowing a small bag under the seat in front of him. 

“Thanks. I always forget how quickly these cars fill up.”

“It’s okay,” she said. “I understand. Most of the cars for these trips are sleepers, but I just don’t have that kind of money.”

“Same. And I apologize in advance if I get cranky by the end of this. I don’t do well if I don’t sleep.”

Leslie cackled. “Noted. I only sleep a few hours a night anyway, so I’m not all that worried.”

He smiled crookedly at her before the train starting moving with a jerk. 

“So, what are you heading out to New York for?”

Leslie sighed and folded her arms over her chest. “It’s been a tough year. The cherry on top of the sundae was my boyfriend breaking up with me just before finals. My best friend, Ann, said I should do something to find myself again. Figured I’d see New York for the first time. What about you?”

His eyes clouded over ever so briefly before that smirk was back on his face. “Just...just really didn’t want to spend my summer vacation at home. I got an internship in New York.”

“Oh, wow, that’s awesome. What are you majoring in?”

“Accounting. You?”

“History. I want to go into politics someday.”

His face fell again, and he wasn’t so quick this time to fix it.

“Oh. Well, that’s really awesome. It’s a tough world, but I wish you the best.”

“Thanks.”

He really was mesmerizing. His tousled hair and deep, brown eyes. Sharp jawline that could cut glass. 

God, he was adorable.

Crap. Crap, crap, crap on stick. This was bad. She was on a post-breakup journey of self-discovery. She didn’t need to fall over some cute guy that just so happened to sit next to her on a train. 

But, Ann _did_  tell her that if some cute guy came along, she should let him erase all memories of her stupid ex.

UGH, but no. She wasn’t ready for that yet, and she needed to put a pin in this _now._

“Uhm, anyway,” she said quickly, “I’m gonna just, you know, sit over here in my seat and read quietly to myself for a little while.”

“Oh, right. I’m sorry. I’ll just let you read, then. I brought some stuff for the ride, too.”

Leslie felt like the biggest jerk when he smiled tightly at her and riffled through his bag to pull out a book. 

Ugh, _seriously_. He brought that same book that she had?

Maybe it was a sign or fate or some other force of the universe trying to tell her something. Or maybe it was just a huge coincidence that meant nothing.

But she didn’t want it to mean nothing.

Leslie laughed to herself and pulled out her own well worn copy of _Living History_  that she brought along for the ride. 

She nudged him on the elbow and held up the book. “I guess we both have good taste.”

He smiled at her again and it made her insides do back flips. 

“Yeah, I guess we do.”

“I’m Leslie, by the way,” she said, holding out her hand.

He took it, and yup, Leslie was in _deep_ , deep trouble. “I’m Ben.”

Maybe this journey of self-discovery wasn’t going to be as lonely as Leslie thought it would be after all.


	75. One night stand and falling pregnant au

He was under the name Ben ‘Cute Butt’ Wyatt in her phone, the nickname just the barest glimpse into how drunk she really was that night. 

Ben Wyatt, the man whose last name she wouldn’t have remembered had it not been saved, an adorable man with a cute face.

Ben Wyatt, a total stranger and the father of her child.

* * *

 

She couldn’t bring herself to call him. It wasn’t the type of news best delivered over the phone, after all.

It was a long shot, but she remembered him telling her where he worked in Indianapolis when he wasn’t on the road. She stalked his partner’s Facebook page to figure out if they were on the road or not, and thankfully, Chris’ last status update had them still working at the State Capital. 

It was kind of the move of a crazy stalker, but Leslie waited on a bench outside of the Statehouse for hours until he came out just after six.

“Ben!”

He turned in the direction of her voice, and his eyes almost bulged out of his head.

“Leslie? Wow, uhm, what are you doing here?”

“You know, had to come here to take care of some things.”

“Oh, okay. Uh, how’ve you been? You…you never called me after that night.”

Leslie shrugged. “No, but neither did you.”

“That’s–that’s a good point. I, uhm, I definitely thought about it though. Not sure why I never followed through. Listen, if you’re in town for the night, you want to grab a drink or something?”

Leslie took a deep, shaking breath. “I can’t. I mean, I can’t drink. That’s part of the reason I’m here. I came to see you because I can’t drink.”

“What?”

“I’m pregnant, Ben. And it’s yours. You’re the only person I’ve been with for months.”

Thank God Ben was near a bench, otherwise he’d have collapsed onto the sidewalk. 

“You–you’re p-pregnant?”

“Yes, but I didn’t come here to beg for money or anything like that. I’m…I’m keeping it, so I figured you had the right to know. In case you… I don’t even know.”

God, Ben looked absolutely sick and Leslie wanted nothing more than to just run away forever. What did she _really_  expect would happen coming out here?Ben “Cute Butt” Wyatt wasn’t about to just turn his life around because of some defective condoms and shoddy birth control.

“Look, I’m sorry I came here. I could have just called or something. I’m gonna just go.” 

She turned and felt the burn of tears in her eyes as she walked down the sidewalk wishing she could just turn back time to long before she ever laid eyes on his stupid, handsome face. If he–

“Leslie, wait!”

He jogged up beside her, readjusting the messenger bag over his shoulder.

“The offer for tonight still stands. Instead of a drink, we can grab dinner or something. My treat. I think…I think we have a lot to talk about.”

He held out his hand to her, and even though she was carrying the baby of a practical stranger and her life was going to change forever, something in his eyes made her think that it would all work out after all. 


End file.
